


The Velvet Shadow

by Arcaniel



Series: Xenobia's Wyndrah world [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Humor, M/M, Mpreg, Romance, Star-crossed, Wyndrah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-13
Updated: 2013-03-13
Packaged: 2017-12-05 05:08:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 104,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/719214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcaniel/pseuds/Arcaniel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Opposites attract, but can they make a perfect match? When a club owner solely focussed on business and a vibrant high school soon-to-be-graduate meet, both their lives will be changed forever...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written together by Neko (aka Arcaniel) and Phendragon
> 
> Please read the following introduction!
> 
> Welcome to Wyndrah! Wyndrah is a fantasy world created by Xenobia (http://www.freewebs.com/ninthwave and also here on AO3), and she has written extensively in her world. Xenobia’s stories in Wyndrah mostly feature a period of time that’s roughly equivalent to the real-world early Renaissance, with the dawning of exploration and science, but she has also started a story in modern Wyndrah, which is equivalent to our modern world but with some enhancements.
> 
> Wyndrah is a realm of magic, of men, and of lashran. If you ever visit Wyndrah and a lashran approaches you, don’t be fooled! At first a lashran might appear to be human, but they’re actually quite different, and they live considerably longer lives. Because of their long lives, their fertility is limited, and so men outnumber lashran on the face of Wyndrah. 
> 
> The biggest difference between men and lashran is that there aren’t any lashran females – well, at least there didn’t used to be any, but that’s a whole different story. Lashran are male, but they still have gender differences: They’re divided into sires and lifebearers. Lashran look much like humans, except that their skin has a characteristic sheen to it and usually has a golden bronze tone, and sires have slit pupils and pointed ear tips. Also, the lifebearers, as you might guess from their name, can bear life. 
> 
> Note: If you dislike mpreg even in a non-human species, you probably should skip this story. (In modern Wyndrah, there are some female lashran, but they’re quite rare, and to date, there has not yet been a female lashran who can bear children.)
> 
> We bring you a story set in modern Wyndrah, with a cast of original characters that we’ve created. Xenobia has kindly agreed to let us play in her world. We hope you enjoy the story!

~ Valkyrie Falls, southwest side ~

 

Tyrallin Alwick drove to school that Monday morning with both eagerness and a sort of uncomfortable, nagging dread.

“Can’t this car go any faster, Tyra?” said Sally Kendrick, his passenger and next-door neighbor. The human girl twitched and shifted restlessly in her seat, chewing on the nail of her pinky finger in the way she always did when she felt nervous.

Tyra let out a quick laugh. “Hey, you’re the one who normally complains that I drive too fast.”

Sally frowned at him and crossed her arms. “Well, today’s special. Step on it, Speedy!”

Tyra glanced down at the speedometer. “If I go any faster, I really will get in an accident.”

Sally dug her cellphone out of her backpack and flipped it open. “He’s not answering my texts. I’ve sent him two. Does that mean it’s bad news?”

Tyra couldn’t think of an answer to that question, so he let it drop.

They passed the rest of the trip in a silence weighted with anticipation, but at least it was companionable. The silence was as comfortable and familiar as Sally’s old habit of chewing on her pinky fingernail. Tyra glanced at his human friend. She had dyed streaks of blond in her short, hazel-brown hair, and today she wore it held back with a red headband — her lucky headband, as she liked to call it.

Eventually Tyra pulled his car into the crowded parking lot of Blue Ridge High School. He took the very first available parking spot that he could find, even though it was behind the school in the south lot. After he stopped the car, he pulled down the sun visor to check his hair in the mirror. He fluffed up the light-gold spikes on top of his head and made sure to tuck back a few stray strands behind his pointed, pierced ears. He preferred to show off his eartips as much as he could.

Sally, meanwhile, was already out of the car and had her backpack thrown over her shoulder. She leaned down to look through the passenger door at him. “Yes, yes, you’re pretty, you’re gorgeous. Now cut it out and come on!”

“Yes, dear. Whatever you say, dear,” Tyra responded in a falsetto voice. However, despite his teasing, he hurriedly got out of the car, retrieved his messenger bag from the backseat, and locked the car. “Got everything?” he asked Sally.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, good. Now, GO!” They both broke into a run for the south entrance of the high school, dodging between parked cars and laughing like they were kids again, running about on a park playground. Tyra had to slow down a bit as they reached the entrance so that Sally could keep up.

They hurried through the crowded halls to reach the senior lockers. Students wove through the building in a sort of unspoken order that looked like an absolute mess to an outsider. Tyra and Sally had to apologize multiple times as they bumped into their classmates and disrupted that order in their haste.

When they reached the senior hall, they had to pause to catch their breath. Tyra spotted their target quickly. His best friend, Jerrik Redforest, stood at his locker, hastily transferring books and folders to and from his backpack. His shaggy hair obscured his eyes as the light brown, silver-streaked locks framed his face.

Tyra had known Jerrik as long as he’d known Sally. They’d grown up together, the three of them, and Tyra couldn’t help but think sometimes that they should have been born as siblings.

“Jerrik!” Tyra shouted to get his attention. The other sire looked up and waved at them, and Tyra and Sally ran to his locker.

“Tell me you got them, Jerrik, just tell me you got them,” Sally said, practically bouncing in place despite the fact that she was winded from the running.

Jerrik shrugged helplessly and gave them a wince. “Weeell….” he said. He drew out the moment painfully before he grinned at them and said. “You bet I did. The online auction for four Bowzer tickets closed just one minute before I had to leave this morning. The top bidder was one Jerrik Redforest, auction stalker extraordinaire.”

“Forests,” Tyra said and sagged against a closed locker in relief.

Sally shrieked in delight and threw her arms around Jerrik. “Oooh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best sire in whole world!”

Tyra put a hand on Jerrik’s shoulder. “You’re my hero, Jerrik. I’m not even going to argue about the ‘best sire in the world’ comment because I completely agree right now.”

“Heh, I hope you still say that when you have to pay me back for your ticket,” Jerrik said with a wry smile.

Tyra shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I can cover it.” He could more than cover it. He had money tucked away from work he’d done for his father’s construction company over summer vacation. “We all agreed that seeing the Bowzer concert was going to be worth the extra price.”

Jerrik grinned, his purple eyes twinkling. “Damn straight it’s worth the price.” He shouted out for the rest of the senior hall to hear. “We’re going to see Bowzer this Friday! Arroooo!” He howled the way the Bowzer band leader was known for doing. A couple of students yelled at him to shut up, but a couple of others howled back at him.

Several months ago, Tyrallin had found out that Bowzer, their favorite rock band, had a scheduled stop in Valkyrie Falls. However, the venue where Bowzer would be playing was a very famous and exclusive club called Velvet Shadow. The club had released the entire set of tickets first to its VIP members — and the tickets had sold out before any were released to the general public. Tyra had been angry and disappointed when he found out. The three of them had been struggling to find tickets ever since.

“You know,” said Jerrik, “it’s a good thing Jamie doesn’t like loud music and crowded places. I don’t know what we would have done if we’d needed a fifth ticket. Where is Jamie, anyway?”

“He has a group project due today in chemistry,” Tyra replied. “He’s probably in the lab trying to fix whatever the other kids in his group did wrong.”

Sally looked between them in confusion. “Wait, Jamie’s not going? Then who is the fourth ticket for?”

“I think it’s supposed to be for me, Sally-sweetie,” someone said from the other side of Jerrik’s open locker door.

Jerrik closed his locker door to reveal Atsayal, a pretty lifebearer with his long strawberry-blond hair in a braid and a half-smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Atsayal had a slow and lazy manner that often belied his sharp mind. He usually kept his eyes half-lidded as though he were sleepy, but Tyra knew it was because Atsayal had to constantly control his vision of people’s auras. A crowded hall like this could nearly blind Atsayal because we was an oversensitive magic-user.

“Mm, good morning, you pretty thing,” Jerrik said with an appreciative purr. He leaned down and gave Atsayal a brief kiss.

“But, hellooo, you guys,” Sally said, dragging their attention back. “Atsayal’s seventeen. Velvet Shadow has a bar. People under eighteen aren’t allowed in.”

Atsayal shrugged. “I told them the same thing. However, our two rogues weren’t inclined to hear my objections.” He gave Jerrik a stern look. “There are going to be bouncers at the doors, you know.”

Tyra felt a slow smile start to creep across his face. Ahh, he could practically smell it. An obstacle. Something stood in the way of a desired goal. Jerrik noticed his smile and returned it with one of his own, and the two sires grinned at each other over the heads of their two shorter companions.

“Oh no,” said Sally when she glanced up at them. “You two are doing that thing again. Oh, this can’t be good.”

In unison, Tyrallin and Jerrik looked at Atsayal and said, “We’re getting you in.”

The first bell rang. They had three minutes to get to their first class, and Tyra and Sally hadn’t even been to their lockers yet. Sally let out an indignant noise of frustration and ran off to her locker.

Tyra shared a fraternal handshake with Jerrik. “Nice job,” Tyra said. “See you in homeroom later.”

“Later!”

As students scurried about in that last mad dash to reach their first class on time, Tyra ambled through the hall with a smug smile on his face. Today was a good day.

The friends met during lunch break at their usual place, a large old tree in the yard. It was a beautiful, sunny day, already carrying the promises of summer, and most students milled about in the yard, sitting under the trees, chatting and relaxing after some grueling hours inside the classrooms.

Tyra and Jerrik had endured homeroom with patience, practically bursting with the urge to plan out their trip to the Velvet Shadow and how to get Atsayal in. Their homeroom teacher however had a sharp eye on them out of habit, so they had to postpone their plotting.

Tyra, Jerrik and Atsayal were already in the midst of a discussion when Sally finally showed up.

“I hope you didn't plan for world domination while I was away,” Sally said with a wary look in her eyes. “Since I'm coming with you, what ever mayhem you guys decide to cause, I'll be in the middle of it, too.”

“Don't worry, Sally-sweetheart,” Atsayal assured her. “I heard that underage people get in all the time if you just bribe the bouncers.”

“Maybe, but...” The girl paused as she saw a familiar figure walking towards them. “Jamie, what the hell happened to you?” she exclaimed worriedly.

“The chemistry project happened,” Jamie grumbled. “I have no idea what these imbeciles put in the test tubes in the first place, but when I added the acid, it blew up!” His normally neatly combed brown hair was standing up, and there was a fine layer of gray dust on his face except around his eyes where he had obviously worn protective goggles.

Tyra and Jerrik couldn't help sniggering, but Sally shot them a nasty look and pulled our her handkerchief. “Here. And I told you time and time again not to be such a pushover and help everyone! It's okay if you give those kids a hand who have nobody else to turn to, but most of your classmates are just too lazy to listen to the teacher, and they leave the work to you!”

Tyra noticed Jamie’s grimace, although he was pretty sure Sally missed it. Tyra didn’t think he could be accepting like Jamie if Sally tried to be as protective of him as she was of the human male.

“Thanks,” Jamie said as he took the handkerchief. “But I wasn’t helping them to be nice, you know. It was a group project, so I didn’t really have much of a choice. I can’t let those slackers affect my grade point average. We pulled off the project, but just barely. “ He started wiping his face off, and he and Sally both sat down on the grass with their lashran friends. “Why, oh why did teachers ever invent the primitive torture method known as group projects? They invariably suck for the hardest worker in the group.”

Tyra finished off his second sandwich and dusted the crumbs off his hands. “Oh, I don’t know. I thought our speech in history class about the Nandar immigration and trading policies was rather stellar.”

Jamie arched a brow at Tyrallin. “Okay, so that was kind of cool.” The corner of Jamie’s mouth twitched. “I still think you should have researched the Private Trade Act more thoroughly though.

Tyra sputtered indignantly. He’d worked his ass of on that project. “Hey now, wait just a minute —” Tyra began, but Jamie cut him off before he could finish.

“So did you get your tickets?” Jamie asked.

Tyra sighed. How did Jamie always leave him hanging like that?

“Yep!” said Jerrik. “The seller’s putting them in the overnight mail, so I should have them in my hot little hands tomorrow.”

As his friends began to chat amiably, Tyrallin put his hands behind his head and lay back in the grass, staring up past the tree branches to the blue skies and small puffs of white clouds floating above the school. It was going to be a long week until the concert, but in truth, it was something of a relief to Tyra that he finally had something to plan for, to look forward to. He needed this concert, a night out on the town, exploring a new place he’d never been before. It would be a nice break from trying to make decisions about a future that still seemed so far away and yet all too pressing on the present moments of his life.

“Hey there, sleeping sire,” Atsayal said, pulling Tyrallin back from his daydreaming.

“Shhh, let him be,” Jerrik interjected with a grin. “He's probably dreaming of the concert, and that lead singer Jaydin will notice him in the crowd and give him a special autograph afterwards.”

“I didn't know that you liked him that much,” Sally said. “I prefer Istaris.”

“Oh? Sally-sugar, you have a thing for lifebearers? Why, I had no idea!” Atsayal fluttered his long lashes at her.

Sally then turned to Jerrik with an absolutely serious expression on her face. “Actually, we’ve been meaning to tell you. I’ve stolen Atsayal away from you, and we’re going to elope tonight.” The human female then pounced on the lifebearer and put her hand across his mouth and kissed the back of her hand in an exaggerated fake kiss, after which both lifebearer and girl broke into giggles.

As they calmed down, they noticed Jerrik giving them a flabbergasted expression, which caused them to start laughing all over again.

Tyra scratched his nose thoughtfully. He said to Jamie and Jerrik, “You know, if Jaydin asked me to stand on my hands in the middle of the concert in exchange for an autograph, I’d probably do it. Hell, I’d even be like those female groupies and bear my chest for him to sign if he’d do it.”

Jamie looked at him with a puzzled expression. “But he’s a sire . . .”

Tyra shrugged. “That’s just because there’s a law of nature that nobody can be perfect. If Jaydin were a lifebearer, he’d be perfect, and the law of nature would fail.”

Jamie nudged Tyra’s exposed ribs with his foot, making Tyra gasp and pull away. “Your logic is faulty.”

“You know,” said Jerrik. “I read a rumor on the Internet that Jaydin is trisexual; species and gender just don’t matter to a trisexual.”

“What?” said Tyra. “You mean like this?” He followed Sally’s example and pounced on his best friend, covering Jerrik’s mouth with a hand and kissing the back of own hand with feigned passion.

Atsayal and Sally started howling with laughter again as Jerrik struggled in Tyrallin’s hold, and Jamie just shook his head and muttered, “Idiots.”

Sally calmed down first. “You guys, we should probably start heading back in for classes.”

Tyra and Jerrik groaned in unison about this prospect but pulled themselves up nevertheless.

The friends didn't have any more subjects together for the day, so they all went to separate classrooms. Tyra had a hard time concentrating during his physics class although he usually liked the subject. But today everything had narrowed down to the anticipation of the concert, and he had no idea how he could live through four more days of school until then.

After some endless hours, Tyra was finally free to go home. As usual, Sally was waiting for him at the parking lot. Since their families lived next to each other, it was a practical arrangement to take her with him, and a profitable one, too, for Tyra, since the girl always thanked him with an insanely huge present on his birthday. It was always something she'd made herself, not just bought in a store. This year, Tyra's old, battered skateboard had gotten the most incredible airbrush design.

Tyra drove them both home and pulled up to the curb in front of his house. Sally quickly hopped out of the car.

“I can’t hang out this evening. I’ve got my piano lesson, and then Mom’s hauling me off to aerobics with her,” Sally said with a little moue of distaste.

“No prob,” Tyra replied as he got out of the car and collected his bag. “Come over early tomorrow morning if you have any questions about the calculus homework.”

“Don’t remind me!” Sally groaned. “See you later.” She gave him a wave and then ran across his yard to her own house next door.

Tyrallin walked up to his home, a two-floor, blue house with rose bushes on either side of the front door. He entered the small foyer and put down his messenger bag and started to kick off his shoes. He could hear the sound of the television. “I’m home,” he called out to the house in general.

“Welcome home, and don’t leave your bag on the floor in the front hall!” his father called back from the living room.

Tyra grimaced and picked his bag back up and then went to the living room. His father, Lissem, lay on the couch, and his little brother, Feadri, sat curled up on the loveseat and was wrapped in a blanket. A box of tissues sat on the table in front of Feadri, and a small wastebasket was placed next to the loveseat. The wastebasket was full of used tissues. A movie was playing on the television.

“Hey, Dri, I brought back your homework for the day. How are you feeling?” Tyrallin asked.

The young lifebearer turned tired-looking eyes up at him. “I’b still all stuffed ub.”

“I can hear that. My poor baby bro.” Tyra affectionately ruffled over Feadri's already tousled silver hair. “How about getting you a bunch of autographs from Bowzer?”

Feadri's eyes lit up with interest. “Really? You got the tickets, theb?”

“Yep,” Tyra said with a grin. “We're hitting the concert this Friday!”

“That's wonderful news, darling,” Lissem said, and the willowy lifebearer rose from the couch and embraced Tyrallin with a warm smile. “Well, to celebrate, how about you help me cook dinner since my normal cooking companion is unwell?”

Tyrallin gave his father what he hoped was a woebegone expression. “That's not much of a celebration, dad.”

“Not much of a celebration?” Lissem arched an elegant, silvery eyebrow. “You have been talking of nothing else for weeks now! Not that I share your infatuation with that terrible noise you call music, but it's a parent's duty to see his child happy. Now, what do you think of some veggie lasagna?”

Tyrallin made a face and mouthed the words “veggie lasagna?” at Feadri, who just smiled up at him and shook his head. The younger lifebearer clearly was choosing to stay out of this.

Tyra wished he could suggest they go out to dinner, but there was no way to do that with Feadri feeling ill. So he said to his father, “If you say 'jump,' I'll say 'how high, sir?' If you say 'stir that tomato sauce,' I'll say 'how much seasoning, sir?' Just let me put my things in my room.”

“That's my sweet darling,” Lissem announced proudly, as usual the winner of every discussion that happened in the Alwick household. “And I could also make some chocolate muffins for dessert.”

“Is sire going to be able to make it home for dinner tonight?” Tyra asked as he followed his father into the kitchen and they left Feadri to the movie. He put his bag down next to the stairs to the second floor. “Or is that Gro-En building project of his going to keep him late again?”

Lissem sighed as he started pulling pasta and various cans out of the pantry. “He said he'd do everything he could make it tonight, but I'm pretty sure he'll end up working late again at the construction site. You know how things get with the big projects. And this is a big, big project. I think we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, at least.”

“Yeah, I know how it gets. Actually, I know how he gets,” Tyrallin accepted a couple of cans from his father and got out the can opener to get to work. “When things fall behind, he thinks that just being there makes his workers go faster, but that really isn't the truth. I think he just gets really attached to the projects.”

“Well, you know your sire. He loves his work, and he loves dedicating himself fully to it. But that's okay as long as he doesn't forget his family.” Lissem smiled at his son while he filled some water in the cooking pot. “But one word of advice: when you have a family, always show up for dinner. We lifebearers like to know that our sires are bonded to us, not their office!”

“Come on, dad, bonding and family are still a long way off for me.” Tyra got a fresh onion out of the refrigerator and started dicing it for the tomato sauce.

His father flicked a stray strand of hair over his shoulder and then put the pot on the stove to boil. “Oh, I know that. You’re so picky about the lifebearers you show interest in that I know you’re going to take your sweet time before you settle down. It’s just something to keep in mind for the future.” He got out a large pan and put it on the stove for the tomato sauce, and he gave his son a sidelong glance. “Speaking of the future, have you given any more thought to that growing pile of university acceptance letters on your desk?”

Tyrallin hesitated in his dicing for just a moment, long enough to give away his tension to his father. He clenched his jaw and finished with the onion. Had he given it any thought? He thought about it constantly. One after the other the acceptance letters had come in, most of them with the words “full academic scholarship” dangling from them like ripe treats for the plucking. He had his pick of schools, all of them with outstanding reputations.

“I haven’t made a decision yet, if that’s what you’re really asking.” His father poured the cans of tomato sauce into the cooking pan, and Tyra tossed the diced onion into the sauce. “Trust me, I’ll let you know when I do.”

Lissem got out a wooden spoon for the tomato sauce and handed it to Tyra. He then leaned against the counter and regarded Tyra with an appraising eye. “You should start setting up visits to the campuses, talk to some professors.”

Tyrallin felt his frown deepening. “What’s the point when I’m not even sure which professors from which departments I want to meet with? It’d be a waste of time.” —

“Getting informed is never a waste. Just talk to them, take a look around the campuses, and see if you like the atmosphere. I mean, it's not as if you still have all the time in the world for it,” Lissem reminded him while he put some fresh herbs in the sauce and stirred it. “You have to decide eventually, so take every opportunity that will help you make up your mind.”

Tyra threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, fine! I'll make appointments to visit Dalling and Raylington next week. They're not far, so I can take half days off school to visit. Maybe I can meet with a dean or something instead of anyone from a specific department.”

Lissem leaned in a little and looked up at Tyra. “And you should meet with the guidance counselor at Blue Ridge.”

Tyra pointed the wooden spoon at his father. “Okay, now you're really pushing it. No, not doing it. I don't need some guidance counselor telling me what my options are, especially not Mr. Janison of Blue Ridge High. The man is an a—” Tyra caught himself before he finished the word.

Lissem smiled. “Well, you don't have to like him, just try to listen, Tyra. It's a huge choice you have to make, after all.”

Before Tyra could answer, however, Feadri showed up in the doorframe, clutching a handkerchief.

“Can I do sobething to help?” he asked. “I think I'b actually getting hungry.”

“That's good news, sweetie,” Lissem declared. “If you like, you can put out the dishes. The noodles will take a while, but in the meantime I can make some muffins. Or are my children already too old for them?” he asked teasingly.

“I'b sick,” said Feadri, and he deliberately made big helpless eyes at his father. “I think I need muffins to helb me get better.”

Feadri gave Tyrallin a fleeting, speculative glance. Tyra realized his little brother, the supposedly “cute and innocent” sibling of the two of them, was going to expect a favor in return for taking the heat of the conversation off him. Well, he was still grateful for it, so he turned to Lissem and said, “You know, dad, I think Feadri's right. And I need muffins because I'm a growing sire. I still might be able to reach six-feet-two like sire.”

“So?” Once again Lissem's silvery brows threatened to wander up into his hairline. “Then you're going to need a bunch of new trousers, or you start a new fashion with some high-water pants. Alright, muffins it is. But you two can clean up afterwards if the chocolate gets everywhere again.”

“But you’re the one that always gets the chocolate everywhere,” Tyrallin pointed out.

Lissem started pulling out the muffin ingredients. “I am the lord and master of the kitchen. You are both my squires. I do battle with the muffins, and the squires do the cleanup. Got it?”

“I want promotion to knighthood when I graduate,” Tyrallin said.

“I think I’b more the princess tybe than the squire tybe,” said Feadri.

“Mutiny! Out, out of my domain, you knaves!” Lissem shook the canister of baking cocoa at them threateningly, and the siblings both hustled out of the kitchen and back into the front hall.

“That went well, I thought,” Tyrallin said to Feadri.

“Next time dad tries to get me to audition for a play . . .” Feadri began.

“The favor should be returned. I hear ya, baby bro.” Tyrallin held up his fist, and they bumped knuckles in agreement. “Back to the movie?”

“Movie,” Feadri agreed, and he headed into the living room.

Before following Feadri, Tyrallin glanced at a basket on the table in the front hall. In this basket were kept magazines and daily mail. On top of the pile was a long, stuffed business envelope. It was addressed to Mr. Tyrallin Alwick. The return address on it said “University of Kensing.” He left it sitting in the basket, unopened, and went to watch the movie with his brother.

 

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

~ Valkyrie Falls, downtown ~

“Sir, Mr. Lorne just called. He regrets to inform you that he can't make it to the meeting tomorrow.”

Elain Silvestri looked up from his papers, his face betraying slight annoyance. “Did he say when he will have time, Conroy?” he asked.

His secretary shook his head. “No, sir. But he promised to call you at his earliest convenience.”

“His convenience? He seems to forget it's him who wants a deal with me, not the other way around. If he calls back, tell him I'm busy,” Elain replied and moved a pile of sheets to the “done” stack at the other side of his huge office desk. “Anything else?”

“No, sir. Just Mr. Ashton calling again, but that's hardly something new. He hopes to see you tomorrow after the concert. And Miss Marithia tried to reach you. She'd like you to come downstairs and take a look at the preparations. Seems she's too busy so she can't come up here to tell you herself.”

Elain rose from his chair and went around his desk. His office was huge and only sparsely decorated with white-washed walls and chrome-plated furniture, which was practical for him and intimidating for every visitor. But Elain didn't like any distractions during his work, so it was perfect in every way.

“Thanks, Conroy. I think you can take the rest of the day off,” he dismissed his secretary.

After Conroy had left, Elain pulled on the black suit jacket he had discarded during the afternoon and allowed himself some stretches to ease the tension in his back. The accounting work had taken most of his time today, and he hadn't even paused for his lunch, instead ordering it to his office.

Before Elain left his office, he took a quick look at the mirror in his adjecent bathroom. His auburn hair was a bit disheveled, and he took the time to smooth it down again. His glasses received a thorough polishing, too.

After that, Elain was ready to show himself to this employees downstairs. He took the lift down to the first floor, where the great disco floor of the Velvet Shadow was located. The club had several V.I.P. levels that only invited guests or those with a gold membership card had access to, but the first floor was for everyone willing to pay and pass the critical eyes of the bouncers. This evening it was closed, however, because the stage needed to be set up for the big concert of Bowzer.

Elain himself was no big fan of rock music, but it was a very prestigious event, so everything had to be perfect. The disco floor already had a small stage, but it had to be expanded for the concert, and a lot of extra lights and the whole audio engineering needed to be set up.

Lots of workers milled about in the now brightly lit room. Usually the lights at the Velvet Shadow were toned down, matching the crimson walls and the dark floor. Along the walls were several niches where the guests could sit and relax from dancing. Here the dominant color was red, too: fire-engine red seats with little tables that glowed from within in warm ember tones.

“Hey, boss!” a female voice called, and Elain spotted Marithia struggling through the workers to get to him. The female lashran was a sight to behold: a curvaceous body that moved with the sensual grace of a dancer, impossibly long, dark hair and a pair of forest-green eyes that could bring a man to his knees with just one look. Today she was just wearing jeans and a tanktop with a scarf wrapped around her head instead of her usual elegant dresses, but even in that outfit she outshone every model.

Elain smiled slightly. “You seem to have organized this chaos already.”

“Well, I try. First the lights didn't work, and then one of the workers almost fell down the ladder! But everything will be ready tomorrow.” Marithia had finally reached Elain and planted a kiss on his cheek, a gesture he allowed only her.

“So, why do you need me here now?” he asked.

“Didn't Conroy mention inspecting the preparations already? No, nevermind, that doesn’t matter. That’s not the real reason I asked for you. The band’s manager, Mr. Kessler, called an hour ago. He decided he wants to inspect the venue and see how our preparations are coming along. I thought you might try to weasel out of the unexpected social schmoozing and stay behind your desk if I explained the situation, so I didn't.” Marithia shrugged unapologetically, and a mischievous twinkle lit up her eyes. “And, perfect timing, boss; Mr. Kessler is supposed to arrive in a few minutes!”

Elain's violet-blue eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “Don't push it, Marithia. And I wouldn't have weasled out, as you call it. Of course I want the band's manager to be happy with our preparations.”

Marithia made a soft noncommittal “hmm” sound, and her eyes still sparkled at him with amusement despite his gentle warning. But she did indeed avoid pushing the issue. “You are a sterling host. Anyway, you're here, I'm here, and Mr. Kessler is almost here. While we're waiting, do you want to take a look around and see if there's anything you want to change?”

“Why not? But I'm sure you kept everything in order so far,” Elain replied, a bit mollified.

He followed Marithia across the dance floor; the workers gave them a wide berth now. Most of the lights were already attached, and the lighting engineers were testing a few adjustments. Huge loudspeakers stood on either side of the stage, and the back wall was decorated with a glittering, stylized wolf head - the band's logo.

“So, what do you think?” Marithia asked.

“Not bad,” Elain admitted. “Don't tell me you like this kind of music?”

Marithia grinned. “Like it? What's not to like? It's got a great dance beat.” Marithia put her hands together high in the air and swayed her body gracefully as if to prove her point. She didn't need the music to keep a beat. “I may not dance on the floor professionally any more, but I'm still a dancer from my head to my toes.” She made a sultry little twirl. “Plus, even you have to agree that all of the band members are hotties. I'm really looking forward to the VIP after party this time — I've heard the band is as entertaining offstage as onstage.”

“The music may have a great beat, I agree, but the voices sound like a wolf pack howling. I still prefer classical music in private,” Elain said, silently amused with the fact that most of the workers had stopped in their tracks and now gaped at Marithia. “And you're welcome to flirt with any of the band members afterwards. I content my self with looking, as usual.”

Marithia narrowed her eyes at him briefly, but then she shrugged. “Suit yourself. I still say we'd make a lethal combination if we ever flirted as a team and played off each other's charms.”

Elain was saved from any further speculation on Marithia's part by one of his security staff calling out to them from across the room. The staff member, Jordy, was guiding a man toward them. The man in question wore slacks, an untucked button-down shirt, and a deliberately mismatched, unbuttoned vest. He also wore pale yellow sunglasses on his nose, and his dark hair was close-cut and thinning at the temples.

“Mr. Silvestri, it's so nice to meet you in person!” Mr. Kessler offered a hand which Elain couldn't refuse, and he cringed a bit at the touch of a sweaty palm. “And Miss Marithia, from what I've seen so far, you've outdone yourself. My boys will be delighted to play their concert in such a lovely environment!”

Elain inwardly measured the expenses for the preparations and the band's fee against the income from the decidedly prohibitive ticket prices. It wasn't much gain for the club, all in all, but the advertising value was immeasurable.

Marithia gave him one of her courteous smiles, which was only a hair less devastating than one of her genuine smiles. “Thank you so much, Mr. Kessler. I'm truly flattered. I definitely plan to meet their expectations and needs tomorrow. We're looking forward to a command performance. As you can see, our people are working very hard to make sure everything is working smoothly.” Marithia gestured around her, and Mr. Kessler obligingly took in the scene of dedicated employees going about their assigned tasks. “So, Mr. Kessler, is there anything we can help you with? Everything is going well on Bowzer's end?”

Mr. Kessler smiled and pushed up his yellow glasses. “No worries, babe, no worries. The band is pacing like a bunch of wild creatures for the concert. We're all set. I'm just here, being a good manager and scoping out the territory. My job's to see their needs are met, and I can't do that as well if I don't know the venue, right?” He tilted his head and shrugged at them in what was likely supposed to be a helpless gesture. “I want to get to know Velvet Shadow. It's especially important that I take a look around the backstage area. Hair, makeup, and all that glam, friends.” He laughed, and the low-pitched sound of it lacked rhythm.

Now Elain had to butt in; he very much liked to know exactly where the manager was going to sniff around. In his experience, people not usually working at the Velvet Shadow tended to get lost in the most unlikely areas - and that was something he didn't like at all.

“Of course, Mr. Kessler. If you would follow me? We have very spacious dressing rooms for the band, an excellent catering service and several make up artist in case they don't bring their own,” he said in his most polite tone and gestured towards the backstage area.

“I'd be delighted. Please, lead the way.” As they began to walk, Mr. Kessler continued. “I'm glad to get a chance to finally visit the Velvet Shadow. It has quite a reputation, you know, even in other cities.”

“I certainly hope so.” Elain was not in the mood for any idle chatter, but knowing about the reputation of his club was another matter. He glanced at Marithia, hoping she would take over. It was her job after all.

Marithia caught his glance and gave him a fleeting half-smirk. “This way, Mr. Kessler. It's fastest to get backstage if we get onstage first. Otherwise we have to go around the long way.” They got on stage and dodged between a few energetic workers here and there before Marithia continued. She waited just long enough to make Elain nervous that she was going to drop the conversation. “Pardon my asking, but I'm very curious. What sorts of things have you heard about the Velvet Shadow?”

“Well, certainly you know your own reputation?” Mr. Kessler paused for effect. “The Velvet Shadow is undoubtedly the most elegant and distinguished club in Valkyrie Falls. And I talked to a lot of people during the concerts in Silverhills and Brethin. They all bemoan the fact that they don't have a club there that is even half as great.”

Elain overheard that flattery, but he allowed himself to believe that some of it was true after all. His club was popular with all the usual party-goers, but he also had a huge clientele of distinguished and wealthy guests who came to the Velvet Shadow for business meetings and relaxation alike.

The corners of in Marithia's business smile kicked up a fraction higher, but the warmth still didn't quite reach her eyes. “That's extremely gratifying to hear, Mr. Kessler. A club of this size requires a lot of time and causes a lot of headaches, but knowing that makes the effort extremely rewarding. Of course, I'm sure you understand: Your band is very well known for selling out show after show, and people talk about how the band members are all fiercely dedicated to creating quality music.”

Give and take, tit for tat, step forward and back. Marithia truly was skilled at dancing.

Mr. Kessler laughed his halting laugh again as Marithia led them backstage. “If only those were the only things my boys had a reputation for! Ahh, here we are. Incredible. I've never seen such a clean backstage area. Which way are the dressing rooms? I'd like to take a peek, if that's all right.”

“Of course.” Marithia led him down a hallway with four separate dressing rooms. Each was big enough to accommodate at least five or six people, furnished with big make-up tables under illuminated mirrors, clothes stands for the costumes, and a comfortable couch for relaxing.

“Three of these rooms are usually used by our dancers,” she explained. “This one is exclusively for artists who give guest performances.”

With a dramatic flourish, she opened the last dressing room. It was a sight straight out of an old movie with deep red walls, a chandelier, an enormous velvet couch, and gold-framed mirrors hanging over the dressing tables.

Elain allowed himself a slight smile as the bedazzled manager stepped into the room. Marithia's idea to decorate the guest dressing room this way was once again paying off. Catering to the guest artists' vanity was a very important factor in getting them to come back.

Mr. Kessler let out a low whistle. “Wow, pretty fancy digs back here, my friends. This is like some four-star hotel suite. How do you keep it clean with all the hotshot musicians who parade through here?” He took a quick glance at Marithia and Elain and then shook his head. “Wait, forget I asked. I can see what sort of standards you keep. Anyway, I'll remind my boys that they're house-trained and they're expected to behave that way.” He laughed.

Marithia smiled. “I'm sure we'll be able to handle whatever comes up.”

Mr. Kessler began walking along the dressing tables. “Could you do me a couple of favors, babe? First of all, could you see to it that there are fresh flowers at Istaris's table? Lilies would be best. Also, is there a shower down here somewhere? Kale always works up a nasty sweat on the drums, and he's going to want to clean up before the after party.”

Marithia nodded. “I'll see to the flowers. And yes, there are two bathrooms, each with a half shower, through those doors there.” Marithia pointed to doors on the opposite side of the room. “Is there anything else you or the band require?”

Mr. Kessler put on a fake thoughtful expression for a moment, then he shook his head. “No, that would be all. There are the security measures during the concert and especially afterward at the party, but I don't think I have to remind you with all the creme parading through these halls.”

“I'll see to it personally,” Elain said, now a bit miffed at the veiled accusation of not mentioning the security. It was always the top priority when they had big events at the Velvet Shadow.

Marithia jumped in. “So, since you're satisfied with the dressing rooms, would you care to visit the VIP room where we'll be hosting the main after party? There's a private elevator in the backstage area that serves as a way to take our guest artists upstairs to the parties we host. It's electronically secured, but our security will buzz the Bowzer members through to the right floor whenever they're ready.”

Mr. Kessler grinned. “Lead the way, lovely. You folks really have thought of everything, haven't you?”

“That's our job, Mr. Kessler.”

Marithia took out a keycard and opened the elevator doors with it. In seconds they reached the fifth floor - the main VIP floor, as it was called. Here the dominant colors were black and white, with a touch of silver and chrome here and there. A polished marble floor in checker-board pattern, black overstuffed leather couches and seats, asymmetric little tables made of chrome and glass, crystal chandeliers, and a huge bar gleaming like the cockpit of a starship gave the room a decidedly luxurious look.

Unlike downstairs, everything was already in order. Only a few maids were polishing the tables and decorating fresh flowers on them.

Mr. Kessler didn't react immediately. He wandered into the room and took in its furnishings and layout. Slowly he made his way to the bar, and he turned and leaned against it to look at them. “So this is where the creme of Valkyrie Falls come to play. Someone has impeccable taste. Tell me, Mr. Silvestri, did you have any hand in the design?”

“Yes, I did,” he admitted. “This room was one of the first things I redecorated when I took over the club years ago. Marithia, however, suggested adding some flowers, and it is indeed the icing on the cake,” he gave some credit back.

Truth was, he still was proud of this room even after all the decades of owning the Velvet Shadow. It was classic, timeless, and although the other rooms were refurnished often, the main VIP lounge stayed the same.

Mr. Kessler nodded slowly. “I thought so. This room reminds me of you somehow.” He gestured to the many drinks decorating the showcase behind the bar. “Do you mind if I...?”

Marithia smoothly moved behind the bar. “What'll be your poison, sir?”

“Gin and tonic on the rocks, please.” Mr. Kessler gave her a salacious smile and then turned his attention back to Elain. “So, Mr. Silvestri, how long have you owned this ritzy joint?”

Without asking, Marithia pulled out a bottle of mineral water before she started mixing the drink for Mr. Kessler. Elain opened the bottle and poured himself a glass.

“I took it over from the previous owner forty-two years ago,” he told the manager. “It was a renowned club already, but I expanded it to two more floors.”

It was no secret, and although Elain wasn't one for small talk, he had to indulge Mr. Kessler for the moment.

“So, I take it your band's tour has been successful?”

“Ha ha, yes indeed! Quite the success.” Mr. Kessler gave a relaxed sigh. “The crowds have been phenomenal, and one of the most difficult parts of my jobs has been tearing the Bowzers away from signing autographs when we’re on a tight schedule. I do think the tour is starting to wear on them, though, and I know Jaydin’s got some new material that he’s itching to work on in the studio.” He took a seat on one of the barstools. “But we’ll have plenty of time to talk about Bowzer and their achievements tomorrow at the party. I still want to know more about you, Mr. Silvestri. You’re quite the mysterious character. For being such an important person, people seem to know very little about you.”

That was the question Elain always sought to evade. He took a sip of his mineral water and smiled slightly.

“For me the main focus has to be on the club itself and on his guests. I'm just the humble proprietor and don't want to hog the limelight. That I leave to stars like your band, Mr. Kessler. My work mostly consists of very boring paperwork.”

Mr. Kessler waved his hand in the air dismissively. “Doesn't matter if you don't want to hog it. You're wealthy, good looking, and you spend your time catering to the stars and supposed pillars of society. You own what is arguably the most popular club on the continent. You should be a sort of minor star in your own right, but somehow you've managed to keep the spotlight from truly reaching you. I think I can sort of understand why you'd do that, but how can you do that? The spotlight can be damn hard to deter when the public is curious.”

Marithia set a heavy-bottomed glass down in front of Mr. Kessler on a monogrammed napkin. He nodded his thanks to her and lifted it to take a drink. His calculating eyes focused on Elain from behind the yellow glasses.

Elain's smile froze a bit. “Now that, Mr. Kessler would be telling. And what horrible businessman I would be if I spilled all the secrets of my trade.” He held up his glass in a mock toast. “And I'm afraid I have to leave you now in Marithia's capable hands. There are some important calls I have to make. Would you please excuse me?”

Mr. Kessler gave Elain a wry half grin. He tilted his glass toward Elain in a small salute. “Of course, and I promise not to take up to much more of her time. Thank you for the tour, Mr. Silvestri, and goodnight.”

“Good night, Mr. Kessler.”

They shook hands briefly, and after a last look at Marithia, who could barely hide her grin, Elain left the VIP room. Of course there were some calls he still had to make, but those could wait until tomorrow. Now Elain just wanted to call it a day.

Elain's apartment was on the top floor of the building. When he opened the door with his keycard, Elain was greeted with a demanding meow. Velvet, Elain's only roommate, had been waiting for him as usual. Elain scooped the beautiful white cat up and stroked her impossibly soft fur.

“So, what does milady want for dinner?” he asked while he went to the kitchen, getting another meow in response. Marithia had presented him the cat on his birthday two years ago, arguing that he needed another living being in his hermitage, as she liked to call his apartment. At first Elain had been skeptical, but the capricious yet cuddly animal had soon won him over.

Elain pulled out some cat food for Velvet, and after she was happily tucking in, he made some dinner for himself. It was something he only had to heat up, because he was no fan of cooking at all. But since Elain had to join his business partners for fancy dinners frequently, he didn't mind.

Elain's apartment was spacious and sparsely furnished like his office, but with a bit more color here and there. White leather couches, bookcases made of dark wood, and huge printings showing abstract yet colorful pictures dominated the living room. A big window front allowed an incredible view over Valkyrie Falls.

Elain sat down on his favorite couch in direct viewing line to the window and ate his dinner. After a few minutes, Velvet joined him there, purring loudly. This was one of the advantages of her presence: She didn't talk back at him.

Elain finally leaned back, stroking Velvet behind her ears as he looked out of the window. Tomorrow would be a strenuous day, especially since he was responsible for everything that happened. Elain just hoped the concert and the following party would pass according to plan. He was absolutely not in the mood for any nasty surprises.

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story and characters (c) by Phendragon and Neko aka Arcaniel  
> World (c) by Xenobia


	3. Chapter 3

Tyrallin scoured his bedroom. It had to be there somewhere.

“Daaad,” he called out as he pulled open his dresser’s sock drawer and shoved socks around. “Have you seen my brown leather strap? I can’t find it.”

“I haven’t,” Lissem responded from his own bedroom down the hall. “Where did you leave it last? And stop shouting.”

Tyra sighed and shoved the drawer shut. He tried his desk drawers next, and then he went and flipped his bed sheets and pillows around. Finally, he got on his knees and looked under his bed: There it was, accidentally nudged just barely under the bed where it couldn’t be seen.

“Found it!” he called as he slipped it on his right wrist. Another, fancier bracelet with stonework already adorned his left wrist, and he wore a stone circle pendant on a leather cord around his neck. For the concert tonight, he wore baggy, faded black jeans and a tight, light brown T-shirt with a gaming logo of a wolf on the front. Tyrallin was almost ready to go, and his friends were due to arrive shortly.

Tyra went down the hall to the bathroom and started brushing his ruffled blond hair, which had finally dried from his earlier shower. He got out his hair gel, poured a glob into his hand, and then started slicking his hair to work it in. Tyra glanced in the mirror and smiled at the silly sight he made with his hair slicked back. After he got the gel worked in, he switched his technique and started fluffing up his hair into his customary spikes.

While he was still arranging his hair, a large figure appeared in the doorway. Detrallin, Tyra’s sire, was a tall and solidly built lashran. The sire crossed his arms over his chest, and the forearms rippled with muscle. Tyra, not for the first time, wondered at the whimsies of genetics: Although Tyra resembled his father strongly in facial features and coloring, it seemed more and more likely that he was going to stay leaner like the sires on his father’s side of the family.

Of course, even though Detrallin’s body was naturally inclined toward being muscular, his profession also had something to do with it. Decades of construction work went into shaping his form.

“Hey, sire, I’ll be out in just a minute,” Tyra said.

“You and only a minute in the bathroom? You're almost as bad as the lifebearers in this family when it comes to occupying the front of the mirror,” Detrallin remarked with a grin. “So, big event tonight, huh? Will you give your car keys to Sally so she can drive you guys home like last time you went out on the town?”

Tyrallin smiled at his sire. Even teasing and fatherly talk wasn't going to have any effect on his mood tonight. “Oh come on, even you have to admit I'm way worse than Feadri, but I'm still not nearly as bad as dad about hogging the mirror. Yeah, we'll give Sally the keys. Actually, if it's okay, can Jerrik crash here tonight? We're going to be exhausted at the end, and we won't want to drive all the way out to his place. We'll crash here in my room. He can use the roll-out mat and blankets.”

“No problem. And he gets his favorite cereal for breakfast as usual. Just be quiet when you return so you don't wake Feadri. We'll be lucky to get him to bed at all because you promised him that autograph. But he's got some tests next week and should have cured his cold by then,” Detrallin reminded him.

Tyrallin started washing the excess gel from his hands. “I'd offer to help him study, but he doesn't seem to really need help with anything any more.” He dried his hands off on a towel and then turned to face his sire, who was still completely blocking the doorway. Obviously, he still wasn't quite done speaking. “So, curfew?”

Detrallin shrugged. “As long as nobody else has curfew to meet, don't worry about it. You're eighteen, and you'll be at college in a few months anyway. I expect text messages at midnight and one o'clock, though. If I don't get them and I have to call you to check, you're hauling cinder blocks for me for a month. Without pay.” Detrallin scratched at his chin thoughtfully. “And I know I've said this before, but you boys watch out for Sally. I know the fairer sexes hate it when we act like cavemen, but if you see some guy look at her the wrong way or touch her soda...” Detrallin's words trailed off, and he gave Tyrallin a firm stare.

“Well be sure to take care of it, sire.” They'd done it before on more than one occasion. “Anything else?”

“And speaking of cavemen, the same goes for any lifebearer you meet, son. I know you're a responsible guy, and your friends are too, but if you meet anyone who's clearly not in shape to make any lucid decisions, give him a chance to sober up first. But I don't have to tell you that of course.” Detrallin smiled and made way for Tyra to leave the bathroom.

Tyra's eyebrows leaped upward. He hadn't expected that. “Got it. Hit on the sober ones, not the drunk ones.” His sire arched his brow and seemed to want to reply to that, but the doorbell rang at that moment. “Gotta go!” Tyra squeezed passed his sire and ran out into the hallway and down the stairs. He heard a resigned sigh, and then the bathroom door shut behind his sire.

Jerrik greeted Tyra at the door with a huge grin. He was also dressed to kill in ripped jeans and a tight, sleeveless, blue shirt with the Bowzer logo in it. “Ready to heat up the town, man?” he asked.

Tyra couldn't help grinning back. “Oh hell yeah. Just a sec.” Tyra pulled on dark-gray ankle boots and then pocketed his house keys, cellphone, and wallet. When he turned around to look, he found his father standing at the bottom of the stairs, a hand on his hip. Tyra darted over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Don't wait up, mom.”

“Don't call me mom!” Lissem gave him a smile and a mild slap on the cheek. “Be safe, and have fun.”

Feadri came to the front hall from the kitchen, a muffin in his hand.

“Don't you forget my autograph, Tyra!” he shouted, but it came out a bit mangled since his mouth was full.

“I really don't know how you kids turned out like this despite my thorough education,” Lissem sighed and brushed a few muffin crumbs from Feadri's mouth. “Now off with you!” he called after Tyra.

“Later!” Tyra replied, and he practically shoved Jerrik back out the front door. “Hey, we need to get Sally,” he said as he shut it behind him.

“I knocked on her door first, but she wasn't ready yet,” jerrik told him and rolled his eyes. “Hopefully she is now. I don't want to be late.”

He hadn't even finished his sentence when Sally bolted out the front door of her family's house. She almost tripped over her own feet, but managed not to fall. “Sorry, guys! I could find my shoes!” she called.

Both sires, although they didn't prefer girls, had to admit that their friend looked stunning. Sally was wearing a black, long-sleeved blouse that was knotted at the front and showed off her belly as usual. Black slacks with a lacy scarf instead of a belt completed the outfit.

As she ran toward them, Tyra asked Jerrik under his breath, “Okay, so how many guys do you think we're going to have to warn off this time?”

Jerrik gave her a quick appraisal and quietly responded. “Six, minimum.” Sally reached them then, and Jerrik gave her a big smile. “Finally ready to go, lovely lady? We've got one more quick pickup first, you know.”

“Of course! And you two look yummy, if I dare say so,” Sally declared. “Jerrik, you be careful, or Atsayal will have to buy a leash!”

“Speaking of Atsayal, shouldn't we be moving?” Tyra gestured to Jerrik's car. “Come on, let's go!” He didn't look back to see whether they were following; he just made for the car and dove into the back seat, allowing Sally the passenger seat. The others got into the car behind him. “You have the tickets, right, Jerrik?”

“Of course I have the tickets! What do you take me for?” He pointed to a spot on the dashboard, but there was nothing there. “Oh shit, wait, where are the tickets.”

“Jerrik!!” Tyra and Sally both hollered in unison.

“Aahh, okay, okay, they're right here.” He pulled them out from between the sun visor and the roof of the car. “I guess that's not a laughing matter.”

“One more joke like this, and you're dead!” Sally threatened with a dark look in her eyes. “Now hit the accelerator before I come over and bite you where it hurts!”

Jerrik complied with a grin and drove out onto the street, wisely not opening his mouth again. They met up with Atsayal a few blocks away; the lifebearer was already waiting anxiously.

When Tyra got out of the car, he inwardly applied his sire's advice about looking out for Sally to Atsayal, too. Sure, neither of them were damsel-in-distress material, but Astayal looked absolutely stunning in his white poet shirt with a tight black vest over it. Jerrik gazed at him with a decidedly smitten look before he greeted his boyfriend with a kiss.

Sally got out of the car, too, in order to yield the passenger seat to Atsayal.

Tyra leaned over the roof of the car. “Atsayal, I know you're set since your parents think you're staying overnight with a friend, but Jerrik, Sally, what's your curfew status?”

Jerrik replied even though he couldn't tear his eyes away from Atsayal. “I'm in the clear since I'm staying at your place.”

“It took some convincing,” said Sally, “but I got mom to agree to no curfew since I'm with two big, strapping sires.” She rolled her eyes to indicate what she thought of that.

“All right then! Let's get this party moving!” Tyra said with a big grin. He let out a Bowzer-esque howl, and the others responded with the same.

The four of them piled into Jerrik's car, and they talked and laughed and fed off each other's powerful enthusiasm as Jerrik drove them downtown. It was a beautiful night, still bearing the cold nip of early spring, but with a clear sky and a sweet-smelling breeze on the air. It was a perfect night for four young friends to go out for a fun time.

They reached downtown Valkyrie Falls after a while. Here the traffic was even busier in the evening than it was during the day. As they reached the street where the Velvet Shadow was located, Jerrik had some trouble finding a parking lot at all. It seemed that half the city wanted to see Bowzer tonight.

After some arguments and a lot of cruising around Jerrik finally found a place to park the car, and the friends hastened back to the club. It was big, nondescript building, but the red carpet, the exclusion zone marked by red cord, and the long line of guests at the entrance left no doubt that it was the right location.

As they got into line and began slowly moving toward the entrance, Tyra felt his eagerness tempered by a thread of nervousness. Two burly, thick-necked bouncers stood at the end of the line, and they steadily tore tickets and checked IDs one after the other. Both of the bouncers would be mage-skilled and able to recognize any illusions that an underage guest might try to put on an ID card.

Atsayal turned his lazy eyes to Tyra. “Your aura is like a laser-light show right now, flashing back and forth between exhilaration and tension. Relax. I wouldn’t even try this if I thought I might get in trouble.” Atsayal looked at Sally next. “The same goes for you. Chill out, Sally-sunshine.”

Tyra laughed weakly. “Right.” The reminder put him at ease. Atsayal was a clever and calculating lashran — if he thought he could get in, he could.

Finally they reached the front of the line, and Tyra offered up his ticket and ID. The bouncer tore his ticket and returned it and his ID after a quick glance, and he was through. Sally joined him shortly. Now it was up to Atsayal and Jerrik.

The lifebearer calmly gave the man his ID to check along with Jerrik's.

For some tense moments, nothing happened, but then the bouncer furrowed his brow and pointed - not at Atsayal's ID card, but at Jerrik's. “Your ID is mangled. I can hardly recognize the administration seal. You better get a new one,” he advised Jerrik. “In you go, guys.”

Tyra quickly lead the way into the building. They first entered a anteroom with a coat-check area on the left wall and a row of a few booths along the right. When they were safely out of earshot of the bouncers, Tyra wheeled on Jerrik and Atsayal. “How’d you do that? I thought the plan was to slip a bribe.”

Atsayal grinned like a cat that got the canary. “I had a better idea last night. Jerrik's ID had to suffer a bit, but it was worth the effort. That way the bouncer was nicely distracted and didn't even bother to look at my ID. If it hadn't worked, I would have tried bribing him. “

Obviously proud of himself, he walked toward the main dance floor. Colorful lights flashed, and big mirror balls rotated on the ceiling. The brightly lit stage was still empty, and a DJ was busy entertaining the gathering crowd.

The friends felt like they'd stepped into a whole different world. The red walls and furnishings gave the impression of being on fire, and the very air smelled of excitement.

Tyra slowly looked over the room, drank in the place like the rich experience it was designed to be. But even as the room awed him, he noticed something out of place. Slacks. Dresses. Genuine jewels and watches and other designer items. Well-dressed businesspeople loitered around many of the tables and in the fashionable shady nooks all around periphery of the Velvet Shadow. On the other hand, the dance floor was getting crowded with other people who wore punk and common street clothes. The two crowds seemed to be ignoring each other and going about their own business for the evening.

“So this is what expensive tickets do to a rock concert,” he said idly to Jerrik over the noise of the music.

Jerrik, however, was staring at the dance floor where Atsayal swayed to a techno beat. “Huh?”

“Nevermind,” Tyra said, shaking his head. He turned to Sally next, who was laughing at the look on Jerrik’s face. He offered a hand. “Concert should start any minute. Wanna claim space on the floor? Like usual, we can split up whenever we see someone hot we want to dance with.”

“Sure thing! I'm content to dance with you, hot stuff.” Sally grinned. “But you should get off your lazy butt and if you see someone you like. There must be some pretty face in here for you.”

“You know Tyra. He's soooo shy,” Jerrik teased before he decided to join his boyfriend. “He didn't even dare to ask one of our classmates out to the Halloween party back in Junior high, you remember?”

Tyra groaned. “Are you guys ever going to let me forget that? Come on, that was junior high! We're seniors now. Gimme a little credit, won't you?” He started tugging Sally's hand to bring her onto the dance floor.

“No way, Tyra!” Sally replied. “That's what best friends are for: Long-term reminders of your past embarrassments! I mean, do you really want to let Jerrik forget that incident with the bullfrog in biology our freshman year?”

Tyra laughed even as he began to lead Sally to sway to the music. “No way! I'm going to be telling that one to his kids!”

Sally giggled. “See? And if you want to prove to him you're a real hotshot, you have to dance with lots of pretty lifebearers tonight instead of me. And I'm not playing your alibi girlfriend so you can lean back.”

Tyra playfully pinched Sally's cheek. Predictably, she swatted him away and gave him a little shove. “Dancing with pretty lifebearers is exactly what I had in mind for the night, so don't you worry about me. You just worry about finding a stud and getting him past our skeezbag test.”

“Meaning, nobody will be able to pass. You guys are worse than big brothers,” she chided affectionately. “But maybe I'll meet some rich and famous man or run off with one of the band members!”

“Any member of Bowzer gets an automatic 'pass' on the skeezbag test,” Tyrallin declared. “Hey, speaking of which, look, look!”

The lights that were focused on the stage began to dim, and other laser lights throughout the club began to streak and swirl over the heads of the audience. In a dark haze of eerie red light, shadowy forms took the stage and gently picked up or settled next to the instruments that had been on display there. The techno music was quickly dying down, and even as it faded, the audience's volume began to swell with cheers and excited hollers. Tyra cupped a hand around his mouth and cheered so hard that his lungs burned.

Then suddenly a spotlight illuminated the figure standing right in the middle of the stage. Jaydin, Bowzer's lead singer, smiled broadly at his audience. He was a tall, good-looking sire with long, black hair streaked with blue, purple, and red. Tonight he wore it loose around his shoulders, the colored streaks catching the laser light. His outfit was also black and very tight, leaving little to the imagination.

“Hello, Valkyrie Falls!” he shouted into his mic.

The audience redoubled its cheering. The lights on the rest of the stage began to slowly brighten, revealing first Istaris, the guitarist, a gorgeous lifebearer with long, white hair that had a faint blue tint to it. He wore it in a ponytail to keep it out of the way of his intricate guitar work. Then the shadows revealed Dean, a human, standing behind the keyboards, and finally his twin brother, Kale, seated behind the drums. They wore their dark hair at chin length, streaked with colors much like Jaydin's.

When the hooting and hollering of the audience crested its peek, Jaydin leaned forward with his mic and said, “Well, we're Bowzer, and we're going to play you some music to get this party started! AAAARRROOOOOOO!”

The crowd answered with a deafening howl, and Jaydin gave his band a sign to start playing. Sweet, haunting tones filled the room, followed by a hard, throbbing beat. Nobody could stay still, everyone was moving, dancing, or waving their arms in the air. The whole crowd seemed to be one living thing, and Tyra, Sally, Atsayal, and Jerrik enjoyed being a part of it.

And as Tyra started dancing — with his friends or with the strangers around him — he felt that for tonight, he was on the top of the world. He felt that he could handle anything tonight. Whatever happens, whatever surprise comes my way tonight, Tyrallin thought, bring it on!

~*~

Elain was pleased with this evening's event so far. The guests were peaceful, and nobody had tried causing trouble yet. Even the elite guests who normally wouldn’t be caught dead mingling with the folks from the first floor, now happily swayed among them.

Despite his first misgivings, Elain had to admit that Bowzer was great. The music did have a good dance beat with a beautiful melody underneath, and the band members were clearly enjoying themselves, projecting their enthusiasm on the audience. Elain had met them only briefly, right before the concert started, but they seemed to be a truly nice bunch, not arrogant in the least despite their little personal quirks. Especially Jaydin seemed to have remained a very down-to-earth person. That made working with them far easier than with the pompous and narcissistic stars he usually had to deal with.

With a content little smile, Elain watched the concert from the bar. He had no desire to join the crowd, something even Marithia had done the moment the concert started. He stayed where he was, watching the whole performance from a distance. The VIP party would start right after the last encore, and then he'd have to come in close contact with other people soon enough.

Unconsciously, Elain tugged at the collar of the white button-down shirt he wore beneath a black vest and matching black frock coat. It was fairly hot in here, but he wouldn't shed any of his protective layers as long as he was surrounded by so many people. Elain's suit was his fortress, his armor.

Applause branded through the room like a crashing wave when Bowzer finished their concert with a last encore. The band members vanished into the backstage area, and the guests who had VIP status within the club went to the elevators where more bouncers were checking IDs and tickets. Time for Elain to join his guests there as well.

The main VIP lounge was already crowded when he showed up. Waiters weaved among the guests, balancing trays with champagne glasses. Everyone was chatting excitedly. Even the usual serious businessmen were riled up like litte kids over the performance.

Elain had just managed to get to his usual safe spot at the bar after a lot of shaking hands, when the band members showed up and were greeted with another round of applause and whistling.

Jaydin smiled lazily and held up his hands to get the gathered people to quiet down, which they did fairly quickly.

“Thank you, thank you,” he said. His normally elegant, rumbling voice was faintly husky from the singing he’d been doing for the past two and a half hours. “Thank you for coming tonight. We had a great time out there. Right now, there’s only one thing that could make this night any better, and that’s some really fucking cold alcohol!” The crowd laughed at this, and a scant moment later a waiter with a tray of champagne appeared in front of Jaydin and his bandmates. Jaydin picked up a glass, as did the others. “Hey, great service. Cheers, Valkyrie Falls!”

The VIP crowd replied with “cheers!” in return, and that seemed to be the signal to return to partying as normal. Jaydin and his bandmates smoothly fanned out and slid into the crowd, where they were quickly surrounded by eager and fawning club guests. Jaydin in particular had a large group lined up for his attention.

Elain watched as the Bowzer members worked the room like the pros they were, and after a while he noticed that Istaris was gradually making his way over to the bar where Elain was seated. Finally, the gorgeous lifebearer managed to break free of the guests, and he came up to the bar right next to Elain.

“Sour apple martini,” he ordered from the bartender, who appeared to be a little dazzled by the smile Istaris gave him. Istaris then turned around and leaned back against the bar, and the position displayed his long, lean body beautifully. He slowly scanned the guests with thoughtful eyes. “So, what did you think of the concert?”

The guitarist clearly meant the question for Elain, even though he didn’t make any eye contact.

“You really know how to inspire your audience,” Elain replied, sipping at a fresh glass of water he had just poured himself. “It was quite a performance.”

Istaris let out a sound that was half laugh, half snort. “Huh! From anyone else, that would be damning faint praise,” Istaris stole a glance at Elain out of the corner of his eye. “But coming from you, I have a feeling that's a high compliment. Mmm, very fancy place you have here, by the way. Veeeery fancy people.”

“I try my best.” Elain raised his glass in a silent salute. “And I hope you and your colleagues are comfortable here. Fancy guests or not, they're here because of you.”

Istaris made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, and he spared Elain a quick, sharp glance. Behind Istaris, the bartender placed a sour apple martini on a little napkin, but Istaris ignored it for the moment.

“Comfort...isn't really the issue.” Istaris looked at the place where Jaydin sat on the trendy black couches with several of the VIPs. The VIPs were laughing at something Jaydin had said. The guests all appeared to be pleased, and that was exactly how Elain liked it.

Upon closer inspection, though, the lead singer's face seemed...tired? No, that wasn't right.

Istaris turned and picked up his drink, and now he looked right at Elain. “There are two things in this world I know better than anything else: music and that sire.” He used his martini glass to point in Jaydin's direction. “The glass slipper is probably going to break sometime not long after midnight. You should introduce your most important guests to him before then. I'll see you later, Red.” With those cryptic remarks, the guitarist gave Elain a wink and then melted back into the crowd, which gladly accepted him.

Elain followed him with his gaze for a moment, pondering Istaris' words. It had clearly been a warning, and if it was true, Elain had better follow the guitarist's advice, taking advantage of Jaydin's good graces as long as they lasted - plus trying to get them to last at all.

Cautiously weaving through the chatting guests, Elain made his way over to the couch where Bowzer's lead singer was sitting. He indeed looked a bit tense.

“Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen,” Elain smoothly interrupted the idle conversation that was clearly for the most part flattering the singer. “But I need to spirit away our star for a moment. Jaydin, if you'd be so kind?”

“Aww, you don’t want to leave us, do you?” asked a woman. She casually put a hand on Jaydin’s forearm. She was the wife of a prominent attorney, Elain recalled.

Jaydin gave Elain a curious glance, but he gently removed the woman’s hand and slowly rose to his feet without question. “Sorry, folks, but I’m being summoned.” He approached Elain and followed as Elain started to lead him away from the seated group. The singer smoothly took a cocktail from a waiter’s tray as the waiter passed near them. Jaydin didn’t break his stride to do it, either. “Need me for something?”

Elain gave him a slight smile. “Not really, truth be told. I was about to introduce you to some more of my elite guests, but maybe you've had enough of them already. I just wanted to ask if I can do anything for you to make your evening more pleasant.”

Jaydin seemed surprised for a moment, but then he just gave Elain a slow shake of his head and a wry half grin. “Nice of you to offer to help, but these things…”

Whatever Jaydin was about to say was cut off. A small group of three businessmen came up to them at that moment.

“Ahh, here you are! I’ve been hoping to get a chance to talk to you. I’m Rodney Tavis, city councilman,” said one of the businessmen. He smoothly pulled a business card out of his jacket pocket and offered it to Jaydin.

Jaydin looked at it only briefly and then held it up between two fingers in a sort of salute. “Thanks, nice to meet you. I’m Jaydin. I’m with the band.”

The three businessmen all laughed obligingly at this. Mr. Tavis turned to Elain. “You don’t mind if we borrow your star for a while, do you? My wife’s been begging me for a chance to meet him for the past hour.” Mr. Tavis smiled a blindingly white smile at Elain, but at the same time his eyes narrowed meaningfully.

“I don't mind if Jaydin doesn't mind,” Elain replied. Mr. Tavis was an important man, and Elain needed to stay on his good side. “But I might ask my assistant manager, Miss Marithia, to pick him up later.”

Jaydin smiled and lifted his cocktail glass. “I don't mind a bit. Lead the way, Mr. Councilman.”

“Wonderful concert, by the way,” Mr. Tavis began, and he and the other businessmen lead Jaydin into the crowd.

Elain frowned a bit as he watched Jaydin being swept away. He really had to find Marithia and tell her to rescue the lead singer in half an hour at the latest. No, better just twenty.

Elain set his glass down and tried to spot Marithia in the crowd. It was usually not that difficult, but among so many tall, broad men in black suits it was difficult. Just as Elain thought he saw the female lashran's crimson dress, a familiar voice whispered right in his ear, “Are you planning on leaving already? After all it's your party.”

Elain turned around to face a tall, broad-shouldered sire in a cream-colored designer suit. He had white-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, his smile showing a set of teeth right out of a toothpaste ad. He idly held a champagne glass in his hand.

“Good evening, Mr. Ashton,” Elain greeted him, forcing himself to be polite. The man was a very important business partner for him, but there had been moments in the past few years where Elain had almost put his personal peace of mind before the sake of his business and considered cutting all ties to the Ashton company. But he was not that irritated by Davaric Ashton's advances. Not yet.

Davaric Ashton faked a crestfallen expression. “Aww, Elain, don't be like that. We've known each other for what, almost twenty years? And you still haven't done away with the formalities.”

“That's because I want our relationship to be strictly businesslike. But I've told you that for the past twenty years,” Elain replied. “For having a sire's hearing, you don't listen very well.”

Davaric just laughed, unconcerned and, as always, undeterred. “But that's because I have yet to hear an answer I like! You know, I don't know why people keep trying to insist that business and pleasure can't mix.” Davaric smiled warmly and moved a bit closer to Elain. “I think they'd mix very well, actually. Care to help me test my theory?”

Immediately Elain tried to put some distance between them again, but the bar was blocking his way. As nonchalant as possible he said, “I'm not a curious person, Mr. Ashton. There's only one thing I'd really like to know. Why don't you seek the company of those who would appreciate your efforts? I'm sure there are enough interesting people here tonight.”

“Well, you see, the problem is that they aren't half as interesting to me as you are.” Davaric's eyes warmed. “None of them have the same soft, auburn hair. They don't have your sharp mind and intelligence. And certainly none of them can manage that statuesque, haughty look of yours that stops me in my tracks.”

As always, flattering Elain was like brushing a cat's fur the wrong way. “I'm quite sure you haven't looked hard enough, Mr. Ashton. And you know the saying, 'wishing for something is more fun than having it.' Even if I'd ever considered, you'd have forgotten me within a week.” This came out a lot more bitter than Elain had intended, and he regretted it immediately.

Davaric gasped dramatically and clutched at his heart. He staggered back away from Elain as if he'd been struck. “Cut me to the quick! You're certainly not mincing words. But I suppose I wouldn't have you be any other way.” Davaric sighed dramatically. “So be it. But would you come sit with me at the bar? No, no, don't give me that disgruntled look. We can talk business, just as you prefer it. Would you tell me how tonight's concert went since I had to miss it?”

There was no elegant way for Elain to evade this, so he followed Davaric back to the bar and pulled up a stool to sit on. As he told his business partner about the concert, he continued to scan the crowd for Marithia, but she was nowhere to be seen. And worse, Jaydin wasn't either.

He spotted the other members of Bowzer easily enough. The twins, Kale and Dean, stood in a group of VIP guests, and one of the two was gesturing wildly and clearly telling some sort of unusual story. Their audience listened with polite interest. At the other end of the room, Istaris sat on a long black couch, one arm around a woman seated next to him. He held his martini glass in his free hand. He conversed casually with the people around him, and with one finger he twirled a lock of the woman's long blond hair.

“Elain?” Davaric said. “Elain, have you heard a word I've just said?”

He tried to focus on Davaric again, but it was rather difficult since his worries grew with every minute. A quick look at his watch told him it was already midnight. Hopefully Istaris had not meant his words too literally.

“I'm sorry,” Elain said. “But it's a very important evening, and I think I have to cruise around a bit more and see if everyone is content.”

“I suppose if you must, you must,” Davaric granted.

As Elain got up from his seat, the crowd parted at just that moment. Elain saw, off in a far corner, just as it happened. He couldn't look away. Mr. Tavis and Jaydin stood together, somewhat separated from the rest of the guests. Mr. Tavis leaned in and put a hand on Jaydin's shoulder and said something to him, something quiet that wouldn't be able to reach the ears of nearby guests.

Jaydin's face froze. Slowly, pure fury began to harden his features. He violently slapped the councilman's hand off his shoulder, and his lips pulled back in a sneer as he made some sort of reply. His reply hadn't been as quiet as the councilman's words because several guests paused to look over at the disturbance.

Oh damn, Elain thought.

As fast as he could, he tried to get through the crowd, but the people were standing too close to each other to easily give way for Elain. With a last, frantic look he tried to spot Marithia at last, hoping he could rely on her powers of persuasion, but the female lashran was nowhere in sight. At this moment, Elain cursed the vastness of the room.

Before Elain could get anywhere near him, Jaydin turned away from Mr. Tavis in disgust and made is way back into the crowd. He once again grabbed another alcoholic drink from a passing waiter and then he climbed on top of a black table. The singer was naturally tall anyway, and now he towered over everyone present.

Double damn! Elain thought as he watched on in horror.

“Esteemed ladies and gentlemen,” Jaydin called out in a powerful voice. “If I could have your attention please?” He held up his hand and waved it, but it was hardly necessary. The gathered people quickly hushed and turned their eyes and ears to him.

“I would like to propose a toast!” Jaydin said. The people murmured in appreciation; a toast sounded like an interesting proposition to them. They had no idea what was coming, though. “You’ll have to pardon me ‘cause I’m doing this on the spur of the moment, all improvisation you know. So first, to Valkyrie Falls! It’s a lovely city, a really lovely city. The lights are almost so bright I can’t see the dark. And also, to power! Power’s a great thing, isn’t it? It keeps the city running and keeps the people running. It’s gotta be nice to have power. But most of all, to money! Because it’ll buy you just about anything. Money’s great! If only it could buy you happiness, money would be perfect. Cheers!”

Jaydin took a large drink of his beverage. Some of the guests seemed hesitant to drink, and some were sipping only tentatively at their glasses with concerned looks in their eyes. Not far from where Jaydin stood upon the table, Mr. Tavis lurked against the wall with his arms crossed. His expression was sour.

“You know,” Jaydin continued. “I’m reminded of this one lyric. We’ve used it on every one of our albums. How did that line go exactly…?” The lead singer grimaced and snapped his fingers a few times as though trying to recall it.

No one spoke. Elain looked around, but all of the guests seemed confused. Desperately, he looked to the couch were Istaris was seated. He stared sharply at the guitarist, and the lifebearer must have sensed Elain’s gaze because he met Elain’s eyes. But Istaris simply raised one brow and shrugged as if to say, sorry, nothing I can do.

Jaydin sighed and shook his head. “You know what? Fuck it. It’s been nice talking to you, peeps, but I gotta go.” Having said that, the lead singer crouched down and hopped off the table. He started moving toward the private elevator that lead down to the backstage area, and the crowd quickly made way for him.

At three other points in the room, the other members of Bowzer simultaneously began to head toward the same private elevator.

Elain reacted immediately and followed them, making his way not too considerately through the crowd. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, he squeezed in.

“I'm very sorry if one of the guests offended you,” he said to Jaydin, trying very hard not to loose his countenance. “I do hope you're not about to leave already?”

Jaydin frowned down at him as the elevator began its decent to the first floor. “Offended? No, I wouldn't say I'm offended.” Jaydin slowly crossed his arms. “Offended doesn't even begin to cover what I'm feeling right now. Pissed as fucking hell might come close, but that doesn't even quite do it justice. But you know what? I'm a lashran of my word. I said I'd entertain your guests after the show. So I'm not going to leave.”

“So you intend to join the party on the first floor?” Elain guessed since it was the only logical alternative. Inwardly he sighed, but it was better than the band leaving altogether.

Jaydin gave him a self-satisfied grin. “Got that right.”

The elevator came to a halt on the first floor, and it gave an inappropriately cheerful little ding. Elain got out, and the other band members got out behind him. They stepped around him and went to their dressing room, and Elain followed. Mr. William Kessler was sitting on a lounge chair in their dressing room, talking on his cell phone. He looked up and arched an eyebrow at their arrival and quickly ended his call.

“Well, done with the VIP party then?” asked Mr. Kessler. “Oh, and I see you have Mr. Silvestri with you.”

“Well, you know us, Bill,” Kale said, pointed at Jaydin. “I guess someone said something our leader didn't like too much.”

Mr. Kessler furrowed his brow. “I hope we have no broken noses to worry about?”

Meanwhile Elain got his headset out of his vest pocket and contacted the security. If Bowzer really intended to go out there - and Jaydin did look pretty resolved - then he had to make sure they were safe.

Jaydin shook his head. “No, no broken noses this time. It was a close call, but I really would have ended up in jail if I'd punched him. Man, that councilman was a piece of work. Asshole.”

Istaris tilted his head to one side. “Do you guys hear something?”

“It's a club,” Dean said with an eyeroll. “There's always noise in a club, dimwit.”

“Not that, numb nuts,” Istaris snapped. “Something else! What is that?” Istaris got up and went out into the hall. Jaydin followed him.

“Is that...” Jaydin started. He took a couple steps toward the stairs that lead to the stage. “Is that howling?” he asked in amazement.

Istaris laughed softly. “Well, looks like we were missed down here, doesn't it?”

“But it's just going on and on and....WILLIAM!” Jaydin hollered as he darted back into the dressing room. “Do you have the newest glossies from that photo shoot last month? Those signing shots of the whole band together, with us sitting together on the edge of that fountain?”

William arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, I got a big box of 'em sitting in the bus right outside.”

“Get them! And sharpies. Lots of sharpies. I'll pay you back.”

“Aaarrgg, not freebies again, Jaydin,” said the manager. “You're damn right you'll pay me back.” Despite his words, Mr. Kessler had a big grin on his face, and he hurried for the door.

Elain watched all this with growing horror while his security men were trying to get into place as fast as they could.

“Please do wait until your manager gets back,” he said. “Your fans won't run away until then. And Jaydin, I'd like to know what happened up there. If Mr. Tavis did misbehave, I have to think about taking his membership card away.”

Jaydin frowned at him. “What happened up there? Well, first I had to listen to a bunch of overdressed, pompous asses praise my music for all of two seconds before they launched into business discussions about the profitability and representation of music today. Then they started parading me around to meet their friends and husbands and wives like I'm some sort of pet, some freakish exotic animal. Then finally that bastard Tavis...” Here Jaydin had to stop because he was shaking, and he let out a ferocious yell. Even the other band members seemed startled. Istaris made a hesitant move toward Jaydin but decided to hold his tongue.

“Calm down, Jay,” Kale said in a hushed tone. “It's okay, man.”

“Screw calm, Kale,” Jaydin snapped. He gestured toward the door. “Listen to them! They're howling! And I was upstairs drinking expensive champagne and watching the shine of diamond necklaces and the flash of designer watches. Those people that are out there on the dance floor now are the people that matter. They get it. Those the people I work for, we work for. Those are the people I sweat for, the people I whore my talents for.” Here, he turned to glare daggers at Elain. “Not your fucking businessmen.”

Slowly it dawned on Elain what kind of offer Mr. Tavis had made Jaydin, and now he was resolved to exclude the man from this club. There were certain behaviors he didn't tolerate in his club at all, no matter by whom.

Just as he was about to apologize, Mr. Kessler came back with a cardboard box. Without further ado, Jaydin took it and stormed for the door leading back to the disco floor. His band members followed.

Elain glanced back at the manager, who just threw his arms in the air in defeat, then he went after Bowzer. Although he had just gotten confirmation that the security was in place, he swore not to let the band out of his sight again this evening.

 

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

Tyrallin sat with his friends in one of the small nooks at a table on the first floor of the Velvet Shadow. Atsayal sat in Jerrik's lap, an arm around the sire's shoulders.  
  
“Come on, Tyra,” Sally said over the dance music as she leaned across the table toward him. “It's just after midnight. We've been dancing for hours. Can't we just go home?”  
  
“You giving up, Sally?” Tyra teased. However, in truth, he was getting tired, as well. He took another sip of his water bottle to rehydrate. “We haven't met Bowzer yet. We should give it a bit more time.”   
  
“How do you know they haven't left by now?” Sally demanded.   
  
Tyra shrugged casually. “I was talking with some other fans. They went out back to see if they could wait and catch the band leaving. Some guy with the band shooed them away, saying the band was at a party upstairs, and nobody's allowed to wait in back for them. They said they went to check back again later, but some security was there.”  
  
“Boo,” Sally muttered. “But I read in every magazine that the Bowzer boys always come out after a gig and give autographs to the fans. I can't imagine they're just staying with the elite guests, but obviously that's what's happening. Ah shoot.” She grabbed her glass of soda and drank the rest down in one gulp.   
  
“Maybe we should ask again?” Atsayal proposed. “One of those intimidating security guys should know. And if they tell us Bowzer's definitely not coming down again, we still can leave.”  
  
“Like security's going to tell us anything,” said Tyra. “They probably don't even know. Dammit, and I promised Feadri an autograph. Auuggh, Forests, this suuuuucks!” Tyra leaned back his head on the backrest of his chair and shouted this last part.  
  
Somehow, the shout felt really, really good to Tyra. Somehow, it turned into a howl.   
  
Jerrik, of course, picked it right up and howled as well.   
  
Then, amazingly, so did someone else at another one of the tables. Then someone on the dance floor began a howl.   
  
The sounds of the howls were primitive, basic, and they felt wickedly good and throbbed in time with the dance music that pounded through the room.   
  
Sally laughed uproariously. “Look at what you boys started! Oh, hell, ARRROOO!”   
  
Tyra grinned. Suddenly he felt that his energy had been restored, and he got up to head back to the dance floor. “Come on, let's dance!”  
  
The howling continued as they walked to the dance floor, growing louder with every moment. More people joined in until it seemed that everyone was howling their lungs out.   
  
The friends were so deeply rapt that it took them a moment to realize that suddenly the shouting and howling grew shrill, excited. There was movement in the crowd, and several security men squeezed through.  
  
“It's them! It's Bowzer!” Jerrik suddenly shouted, being able to get a brief look at the backstage entrance. Four familiar, multicolored heads showed up there.  
  
Tyrallin stopped and fell silent as Jaydin took the stage and howled back at them. All the other dancers on the floor also quieted at the sound of Jaydin's howl.   
  
The alpha dog had arrived.   
  
Jaydin picked up a mic that was on the stage and turned it on. “Hey, I can't see where the DJ is located, but can we can get this techno crap shut off? I'd like to be able to talk to the people here. And can I get some full lights up here on the stage?”   
  
There was a bit of a delay, but his requests were seen to in fairly short order. When the music stopped, Tyrallin felt the impact of the sudden hush like a jolt to his body.   
  
“Okay now, folks,” Jaydin continued. “I got some pictures here for you, and we're going to have a bit of unplanned signing fun.” The crowd cheered wildly at that, which caused Jaydin to laugh delightedly and wave his hands at them. “All right, all right, shut up, I get it. Eager fuckers, aren't you?” Everybody laughed at this, including Jaydin and even the other band members. “Look, sorry I made you wait. Now, listen up, I'm screwing with security, so you all are gonna behave and play nice, right? The four of us are going to sit on the edge of the stage for signing things, and here's how I want you guys to do this.” And Jaydin started explaining how he wanted them to line up, and the crowd followed his directions.  
  
Tyra was impressed with Jaydin all over again. He was a consummate leader. And, thank the Forests, he was actually going to be able to get that autograph for Feadri.  
  
“Hey, come on!” Sally tugged at his shirtsleeve. “We have to get in line if you want autographs from all the boys! I have no idea how many pics they have for signing, but I don't want to be the only one who doesn't get one!”  
  
Tyra followed her and got in line, with Atsayal and Jerrik right behind them. The line was winding through the room already, but the waiting would be worth it.   
  
Gradually, they made progress to the front of the line. At some point, some music started up again, but it was kept much softer than before to allow for easy conversation between fans and band members. It was also, Tyra noted, no longer techno dance music. Someone had switched the music genre to rock and alternative.  
  
Finally they neared their goal. The band had formed a receiving line at the front of the stage, and the first person everyone in line would meet would be Dean, followed by Kale, then Istaris, and finally Jaydin. Near the front of the receiving line, a man was handing out eight-by-ten-inch photographs. “One per person!” the man was saying over and over again.  
  
Damn, Tyra thought. Guess I'm just getting Feadri's autograph. I'll get one for myself in the future, he promised himself.  
  
Contrary to Sally's fears, they each got a print from the man. The band members were very efficient in signing, and although Kale and Dean just smiled briefly and didn't say anything to Tyra, Istaris gave him a dazzling smile as he took the photograph from Tyra.  
  
“So, what should I write, cutie?” he asked.  
  
Tyrallin was completely snared by Istaris's smile. The word cutie echoed in his pointed ears, and all higher brain functions ceased operation. An unintelligent “Uh,” was all he could manage.   
  
Atsayal came up behind Tyra and patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Istaris, would you please make it out to his little brother, Feadri, F-e-a-d-r-i?”  
  
Tyra simply nodded in agreement, and both of the lifebearers had a good laugh at his expense.  
  
“Aww, so you pass up on an autograph for your little bro's sake? That's very sweet of you,” Istaris said, signing the photograph and handing it back to Tyra. “See you around, cutie. Next time you see us, you get your autograph, too.”  
  
Tyra nodded again, still unable to say anything. But he tried to get a grip on himself as he finally stood in front of Jaydin.  
  
Jaydin was chatting casually with Sally, whose print he had already signed. As soon as Sally noticed Tyra approaching, she grabbed his arm and introduced him.  
  
“And this is my best friend, Tyrallin,” Sally said with a huge smile. “He's the one that got us all started listening to you almost six years ago.”  
  
Jaydin eyed Tyra speculatively. “Six years ago? Really?” He held out his hand for the photograph, and Tyra gave it to him. “We only really made a name for ourselves four years ago.”   
  
“Yeah, when the song 'Broken Real Lives' hit number one,” Tyra said with a big grin. “But I caught a sample of your music on the Internet a few years before that. I told my friends you guys were going to be big.”  
  
Jaydin gave him a genuine smile. “That's great, man, that's really great. Hey, thanks for sticking with us. What's your name again?” He waved his sharpie over the photograph meaningfully.  
  
“I'm Tyra, but hey, can you please make it out to my little brother, Feadri? He wanted to come tonight, but he's underage. It's F-e-a-d-r-i.”  
  
“Of course.” Jaydin put his flourished signature on the photograph. “Hope you had fun tonight! We sure did.”  
  
“The concert was phenomenal!” Tyra took the photograph back and shook Jaydin's hand with an enthusiastic “thank you!” Then he and Sally both stepped to the side so Jerrik and Atsayal could meet Jaydin. When Jerrik and Atsayal joined them, the four of them headed for one of the available tables.  
  
“Okay, so you completely fumbled it with Istaris, but you made a decent recovery at the end there,” Sally said to Tyra.   
  
“Oh, shut up,” Tyrallin snapped peevishly. “He just...caught me off guard, that's all.”   
  
“What?” Jerrik asked. “Did I miss something good?”  
  
Sally and Atsayal grinned. “Our Tyra got all flustered when Istaris called him a 'cutie',” Atsayal told Jerrik. “He couldn't get out one word! Totally smitten, I'd say. And here I thought your big idol was Jaydin?”   
  
“Yeah, well, Jaydin doesn't have all that long, white hair and cute little rounded ears. And Jaydin didn't call me 'cutie' either.” Tyrallin looked away and hoped he wasn't blushing too hard, but he could feel that the points of his ears were hot. To distract himself, he flagged down a waiter and ordered a glass of rum.   
  
Sally and Atsayal, however, made sounds like a pair of drunken hyenas.   
  
“Cute round ears?” Sally gasped. “Now that's something I didn't know about you!”  
  
Jerrik, who sat right next to Tyra, threw an arm around his friend's shoulders and took on a fake mournful expression. “But alas, the object of his affections is a famous star and won't be available for poor Tyra to nibble on those cuuute ears. What to do?”  
  
Tyrallin gave Jerrik a swift, playful punch in the side, causing his friend to yelp indignantly. “Come on, guys, would you leave me alone?”   
  
They ignored him, of course.  
  
“Weeell, what to do? We can't have our poor friend pine away the whole evening,” Atsayal said. “I think it would be best he found another set of cute rounded ears for himself.”  
  
Jerrik nodded. “But there's the problem. He doesn't dare to approach anyone.”  
  
“Come on, be fair,” Sally came to Tyra's defense. “Maybe he just hasn't found anyone here he likes? There are some very cheap floozies out there, if you noticed.”   
  
“Would you guys quit talking about me like I'm not even here?!” Tyra demanded. The waiter returned and set a glass of rum in front of him.   
  
Jerrik grinned at him. “What, are we hitting too close to home? Come on, man, you had the whole evening to find yourself a nice, pretty lifebearer to dance with. And all you did was dance with Sally — as usual.”   
  
Tyra fidgeted with his glass of rum. “Sally's a good dance partner. And I could have hit on anyone I wanted to. I didn't see anyone that really sparked my interest.” What he said was at least partly true. He'd seen several lifebearers who had been very appealing, but he hadn't felt compelled to try to strike up a conversation with any of them.   
  
“Not interested, my ass! I say you're just too shy.” Jerrik crossed his arms in front of his chest and glanced at his best friend with an open challenge in his eyes. “I've known you for ages, and you can't fool me.”  
  
“Come on, Jerrik. Let him be,” Sally urged, but Atsayal put a hand on her shoulder. “Let the sires fight that one out alone, Sally-sugar.”   
  
Tyra rudely pointed directly at Jerrik's face. “I am not too shy. I'll make you eat those words. Besides, who was the one who came running to me when he couldn't figure out what to say to interest a certain lifebearer?” Tyrallin glanced pointedly at Atsayal.  
  
“But I'm together with Atsayal now, aren't I?” Jerrik shot back. “You couldn't get a guy's number even if your life depended on it!”   
  
Tyrallin narrowed his eyes. “The hell I couldn't. I could get any guy's number here if I wanted to, as long as he's got an interest in other guys.”   
  
“You want to bet on this?” Jerrik challenged. “I pick out a guy in this room, and you have to get his name and number. If a miracle happens and you manage it, you get the nifty new skateboard I just ordered. If not, you'll pay my concert ticket.”  
  
He knew the skateboard Jerrik was talking about. It was a sweet little piece of street surfing, and Tyra would love to call it his own. “One condition: If you pick a human male or sire and it turns out he doesn't like guys, I get to come back and you have to pick out somebody else. If you agree to that, you're on!”   
  
“Done! But no cheating, man!” Jerrik and Tyra shook hands, then Jerrik stood up to scan the crowd. Atsayal did so, too, and even Sally, despite her open disgust about such macho behavior, started to look for an appropriate target.  
  
But it was really difficult. There were a lot of good-looking guys there, but some wore very revealing clothes and danced in a decidedly slutty fashion. Others were clearly dancing with girls.  
  
Suddenly Jerrik grinned and pointed out to the bar. “Tyra, you see the red-haired guy in the black suit? Go get him!”  
  
Tyra stood up and peered in the direction that Jerrik pointed. At the bar, sitting alone, was the selected lashran. Tyra could see his profile clearly. He had soft-looking auburn hair that reached his chin. His pouty lips were turned down in a half frown, and his glasses perched upon a pert nose. His skin shone faintly in the way lashran skin always tended to do. His business suit was perfectly tailored.  
  
Not an easy target. Of course, he hadn't expected Jerrik to make this easy for him.   
  
“I see him,” Tyra said. He took a quick gulp of his rum and started making his way to the bar.  
  
When Tyra was out of earshot, Sally said to Jerrik, “Is that a lifebearer or a sire?”  
  
Jerrik laughed with delight. “You got me there. I can't even tell!”  
  
Tyrallin approached the other lashran at a slow but steady pace. He observed the lashran, took in the heavy mood that seemed to linger about him. A fierce wave of nerves suddenly swept over Tyra, but he forced it back. This was a challenge, so it was no longer just a personal matter.   
  
He steeled himself and put on what he hoped was one of his more charming smiles. Then he went up and leaned against the bar next to the redhead.   
  
“Hey there,” he said casually. It wasn't much, but it got the lashran's attention. “You know, I was thinking I'd like to ask you to dance, but you don't seem to be dressed for it. Then I thought about asking if I could buy you a drink, but it looks like you're having water.” Tyra gestured to the glass in front of the redhead. “So, I decided on a simpler question: What's your name?”  
  
Elain gazed at the young sire who had approached him. He was tall and well-built, with blond, spiky hair, and a set of open hazel eyes in a handsome face. His stylish clubbing outfit betrayed a true fan of Bowzer, and his pleasant, unaccented voice told of a good education.  
  
Although Elain was in no mood for a decent conversation anymore, this approach was refreshing in its natural boldness. And more, the young sire seemed to have no idea who Elain was. Obviously his effort to stay anonymous was paying off among the guests who where not VIPs. And frankly he'd had enough of those VIPs for the evening.  
  
“For such an observant person, it would only be appropriate to introduce yourself first, don't you think?” Elain answered, sipping on his water.  
  
Tyra smiled widely. He hadn't been told to get lost! In fact, he'd been invited to talk more. So far so good. He took a seat on the bar stool next to the other lashran.  
  
“I'm Tyrallin Alwick. My friends call me Tyra. I'm...” for the barest second, he almost said his age, but decided against it, “well, I'm a big Bowzer fan. I started listening to them before they became popular. This is the first time I've been to the Velvet Shadow. Let's see, what else? I like to read. A lot. And I own an ugly car. There now, does that count for an introduction?” He smiled warmly at the other lashran.   
  
Come on, pretty thing, Tyra silently begged. Tell me your name.  
  
Although Elain was indeed a bit mollified by that introduction, some facts this Tyrallin had just told him only confirmed what Elain had already thought. Now for the most important question: Why had he approached Elain? If he really didn't know who Elain was, then it was mostly just for good fun — something Elain really didn't have the patience for. Although the young sire's smile seemed genuinely friendly, Elain had been in the club business far too long to trust it.  
  
“Well, Mr. Tyrallin Alwick, what can I do for you?” he asked right away, looking the young sire straight in the eye. “I can't imagine giving you my name will stop you from whatever you're intending to.”   
  
Tyra's smile faltered slightly. Had he done something to make this lashran suspicious of his motives? Forests, he hoped this guy couldn't read auras the way Atsayal could — Tyra was sure his aura would be roiling with nerves and guilt right now.  
  
“Intending to do? I'm intending to talk to you. You know? That ancient clubbing ritual of going up to a guy, chatting with him, flirting shamelessly. Hey, at least we have it better than our forefathers. They had to go clubbing in caves, and the acoustics were terrible.”  
  
This elicited a slight smile from Elain. “I can't argue with that. So, I guess it's my turn now, and since you've been so honest, it's only fair. My name's Elain Silvestri.”  
  
Truth be told, Elain had no idea why he was still talking to Tyrallin. The young sire was obviously on the hunt, and Elain wasn't exactly the ideal person to charm. Nevertheless, it was somehow... cute, the straightforward way Tyrallin admitted his intentions.   
  
Cute? Forests, Elain thought. I must be really tired to have strange thoughts like that.  
  
Tyra perked up considerably. Hmm, he thought. What’s it going to take to get a full smile out of him, I wonder? “Elain, huh? It’s very nice to meet you, Elain.” During the brief, awkward silence that followed, Tyra contemplated possible conversation approaches. He decided to keep it casual for now. “So, were you here for the concert earlier? I wouldn’t peg you for a Bowzer fan, but the crowd was really a weirdly mixed group, so I could be wrong.”  
  
“No, I'm not here for the concert,” Elain replied. “The concert was nice, but I prefer something different; not so, well, loud.” He took another sip from his mineral water and glanced at the stage where Bowzer was still handing out autographs. So far everything had been going smoothly.  
  
“So if you're not here for the concert, what brings you here this evening?” A rather irritating thought suddenly occurred to Tyra. “Wait, you're not meeting someone here, are you?” Tyra craned his neck around, checking to see whether anyone was heading their way.  
  
“And what if I was? You'd give up?” Elain asked with a bit of derision in his voice.   
  
“I guess that depends on how attached you are to this other guy,” Tyrallin said with a thoughtful shrug. “I don't normally like to give up, but if you love him, I'll back off. But I don't see any bangles on your wrists, so you don't appear to be bonded. Plus, if you are meeting someone, he's not really a great date, because here you are talking with me. So, hmm, I think in this case, I won't have to give up.” He gave Elain a sly smile. “So, are you? Single?”  
  
This time Elain was smiling for real. “Yes, I'm single,” he confirmed. “And you are one of the most brazen sires I've ever met.”   
  
Tyra was momentarily stunned by the smile. Okay, that had been worth the effort. Maybe he could get another?   
  
“Why thank you!” Tyrallin straightened up tall in his seat. “I do my best. Besides, shy never got me anywhere. Say, can I buy you anything to drink? Even another water or a soda?”   
  
Elain was very sure nobody had ever tried to buy him a drink in his own club, and the whole situation became more bizarre by the minute. But it was a nice kind of bizarre. When was the last time Elain had just casually chatted with anyone? There was Marithia, of course, but aside from that... he really couldn't remember. And he hadn't missed it until now.  
  
“No, thank you. But can I get you anything? I'm a regular, so to speak.”  
  
A regular, huh? Tyrallin thought, and he filed that little tidbit away.  
  
“No, no, but thank you. I'm good.” Tyra fiddled somewhat nervously with one of his bracelets. “I don't think I got an answer to one of my earlier questions: What brings you here tonight, Elain?” For some reason, Tyrallin really enjoyed saying the other lashran's name. It was an unusual name, and he liked the sound of it.  
  
“Since you're not giving up, I'm here on business, not for fun.”   
  
Elain felt safe saying that since Tyra still had no idea who Elain really was. And he intended to leave it that way. If the young sire knew with whom he was speaking, he would have asked for a backstage pass or a membership card or an interview for the tabloids. It was always the same.  
  
“Really?” Tyra asked. “I sure wouldn't mind getting to go to a concert as part of a business evening.”  
  
At that moment, the background music that had been playing came to an abrupt halt. Up on the stage, Dean and Kale had finished up with their autograph signing, and they were taking up their instruments, unplugged this time, so the sound was much less overwhelming. They started playing some casual jam music on their respective instruments, not really playing any song in particular. They even started bantering back and forth to each other as they played.   
  
Tyrallin turned on his bar stool to look at the stage. “Hey, would you look at that? Man, Bowzer's just spectacular. There they are, after a long, hard concert, after all that autograph signing, and they're back at it.”  
  
Absently, Tyra noticed that Jerrik was pulling Atsayal out on the floor for a slow dance, and Sally was grooving with a human male. It looked like Tyra still had some time to keep talking to Elain.   
  
Elain also looked up to the stage. Jaydin and Istaris were still signing and talking to the fans, but judging from the look on the lead singer’s face, Jaydin had calmed down. Elain was very grateful for that and started to relax a bit. The security was vigilant as always, and the general mood of the crowd was mellow and happy.  
  
Maybe this evening wasn't a complete disaster after all.  
  
“You know what? I guarantee you they made some new life-long fans tonight,” Tyra said. “I thought the concert earlier was great, but this is something else entirely. I heard some people talking, and it sounds like Bowzer left some ritzy VIP party to come down here with us. And look at them! They're happy about it. They're my heroes, I tell you. They'd rather spend time hanging with the schmucks who had to scrimp and save and scramble to find hard-to-get tickets than the glitzy glamour folks who ran out of here the second the concert ended.” Tyrallin blinked and suddenly realized how he'd been going on. He felt a blush threatening to form. “Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ramble.”   
  
Elain couldn't help but smile again, noticing the faint color on Tyrallin's cheeks. Seeing a grown man blush was something rare indeed.   
  
“It's alright. You really are a fan, and Bowzer is here for their fans. There's nothing wrong with saying what you think.”  
  
Tyrallin once again found himself helpless when faced with Elain's smile. A little shiver or pleasure tickled his spine.  
  
“I suppose. I guess I just can't help myself,” he said and gave a self-mocking half laugh. “They really are brilliant. I don't know if you've ever just looked at their lyrics, but it's actually beautiful poetry. And there's this one lyric, my favorite, 'All the world is for the dogs.' Did you know they include that lyric on every one of their albums?”  
  
“Now I know.”   
  
So that was the line Jaydin had mentioned earlier when he made his little speech in the VIP lounge. It was indeed somehow fitting.   
  
Elain vowed to himself to come down here more often. The VIP members brought in the big money, but it seemed that the disco floor held a good deal more truth. Somehow Elain could understand Marithia and her love for the guests of the first floor better now.  
  
Tyrallin gave his companion a half smile. “Yep, now you know. Well, surely you don't want to hear any more about my love of Bowzer. Won't you tell me a bit more about yourself? What do you like to do with your free time?” Come on, honey, he thought. Give me some more openings. I want to keep those smiles coming.  
  
“There's not much to tell,” Elain admitted truthfully. “I read, work out, and sleep in on Sundays.”  
  
What the heck am I saying? he chided himself. Did the bartender give me giggle juice instead of water? Why am I telling this stranger anything about me?  
  
“And what do you do aside from listening to Bowzer's music?” He tried to divert the attention back to Tyrallin.  
  
Well, shit, Tyrallin thought. I don't think it would go over well that I like to spend my time arguing with my high school teachers and skateboarding with Jerrik.  
  
“I read manuals.” Okay, that was safe ground. “For fun. My brother says I'm a freak of nature. You know, I think I'm going to go home tonight and look up a book on mixing drinks. I've been watching our bartenders,” he leaned over and pointed to one of them who was mixing a martini for another customer, “and I've decided it's a really neat thing to do. That way, maybe you could tell me your favorite drink someday, and I'll be ready to mix it up right then.”   
  
Inwardly, Tyrallin groaned at himself. He'd never flirted so shamelessly before in his life. Had he really just said that to this lashran he barely knew?  
  
For the first time in years, decades even, Elain felt the urge to burst out laughing. This Tyrallin was absolutely priceless in his harmless blunders. It somehow reminded Elain of a clumsy little animal. His cat Velvet had behaved that way too, back when she had been only a few weeks old. The little kitty had stumbled over everything, knocked over half a dozen expensive vases, and then had given Elain the most innocent look ever.  
  
“It happens I know a thing or two about mixing drinks. If you're really interested, I'll show you how to mix a cocktail,” he offered. “But you have to tell me what you like. I never drink anything besides water.”   
  
Tyrallin turned his eyes quickly to his companion's face. “Really? Does that mean you'd be willing to meet up with me again sometime?” He could feel himself grinning foolishly, but he couldn't bring himself to care.   
  
Oh damn. I did say that, didn't I? Now what? Tell him no, as always? Elain wasn't happy in the least with himself. He despised people who led others on, and he had done just the same for the past half hour!  
  
“Let's just say that I'm here at the club very often,” he backpedaled. “If you come back on a slower evening, we might get the bartender to loan us some stuff.”   
  
Tyrallin nodded, although his smile faded a bit. He could accept that. He'd been tempted to ask if he could take the other lashran out to dinner, but now he was glad he'd held back.   
  
“I'll see if I can't get my hands on a drink manual in the meantime, though.” He put an elbow on the bar and leaned his chin on his fist, gazing at Elain. “So, you can mix drinks, huh? How'd you pick up that little skill?”   
  
Since it was no secret, Elain told him. “I worked as a bartender when I first came to Valkyrie Falls. It wasn't something I had intended to, but I liked it most of the time. It's been a while now.”  
  
“Well, everybody has to start out somewhere,” Tyra said. “And look at you now! If your suit is anything to go by, you've come a long, long way. I'm sure you worked very hard. Has it be worth the effort?”   
  
Elain caught himself smiling again at the young sire. This was not the usual superficial flattery he despised, but somehow more honest.  
  
“Yes, I think so. Anyone can get as far as he wants if he's willing to work for it. And as a lashran, everyone gets hundreds of years with countless chances, if he's willing make the necessary sacrifices.”   
  
Tyra rubbed a hand against his forehead. “That's the blessing and the curse of the lashran lifespan, isn't it? Gods willing, we've got a lot of time to make our lives what we want them to be, but we've also got to work a lot harder for a lot longer than humans do.”  
  
“Well, it would be unfair if we didn't need more time than humans do. But I guess their life is much more intense than ours, because they have always so little left and need to use it to the fullest.”   
  
Elain had encountered a lot of lashran who just wasted their time, thinking they didn't miss anything since they had hundreds or even thousands of years ahead of them. But this mentality turned some of them into very lazy people. Elain had always despised this, using every hour of his own life wisely.  
  
“Yes, but with their short lives, they also have less room to screw up as badly as we can,” Tyrallin said. “We have the ability to start on a path in life and follow it and follow it for centuries, but then we can also realize centuries too late that the path isn't really what we wanted, or maybe even that it turned out to be a very bad path. We have to be a lot more careful about our choices than they do.”   
  
As he spoke, Tyrallin thought of the university acceptance letters that sat on his desk in his room at home. He hadn't crystallized his thoughts about why he was so reluctant to make a decision until just this moment.   
  
Elain regarded Tyra's face carefully. “Are you about to make such a choice?” he asked.  
  
Tyra frowned and came close to grumbling. “Perceptive, aren’t you? Yes, I am, and it’s been driving me crazy for months. But I’ll have to make the decision soon, and I just hope it’s the right one.”  
  
“Nobody can ever be truly sure that it's the best decision. But if it seems and, well, feels right at the time the choice has to be made, then, in my experience, it's the right one,” Elain said. “And I don't mean that in a patronizing way.”   
  
As Elain noticed the general noise in the room growing louder, he took a swift look around. Jaydin and Istaris had finally managed to escape their fans and joined their colleagues on the stage, playing around as if they hadn't a care in the world. Obviously Jaydin's mood had improved a lot.  
  
Tyra slowly turned around on his bar stool and leaned back against the bar so he could watch the events on the stage. What Elain said rang true, even though it didn’t make his decision any easier. “No, that’s not patronizing at all. Trust me, I know patronizing when I hear it. I guess I just haven’t found the decision that feels right to me yet. I’ll have to step it up and look harder.”   
  
Tyrallin glanced at Elain out of the corner of his eye. He noticed the way the soft auburn hair was framing the other lashran’s face. He wished he could reach up and trace that line of soft hair against his cheek, but Elain’s body language and manner told him it would be a very bad idea.   
  
On the stage, the band was ending the general jam session and starting to play a slow rock ballad.   
  
“They’re going to play ‘Century of Steel.’ One of my favorites,” Tyra told Elain. Then, hesitantly, even though he was sure he’d get a “no,” he asked, “Could I convince you to dance with me after all?”  
  
For a moment, a very brief moment, Elain was tempted to say “yes.” But then his senses came back to him, reminding him that he couldn't risk it. There were too many people who could recognize him out there on the dance floor.  
  
“I'm afraid not. As you noticed yourself, I'm not dressed to dance, and it's been a very long time since I last tried. But you should go and dance since it's your favorite song,” Elain suggested.  
  
“One of my favorites,” Tyra emphasized with a gentle smile. He looked back at the stage, where Jaydin was pulling the mic from its stand. “And I can’t see anybody else I really want to dance with right now, so I’d rather listen to the song with you.”   
  
On the stage, Jaydin began to sing in a gentle, haunting voice.  
  
 _Lost in this time_  
 _Lost in this world_  
 _We stumble our paths_  
 _Hoping to find_  
 _The end of the rainbow_  
  
Elain had to admit that the song was really beautiful with its sweet, soft melody. He listened carefully to the next part.  
  
 _But the sun dried_  
 _Away all rain_  
 _Leaving no more gold_  
 _Just this cold thing_  
 _This Century of Steel_  
  
They were indeed very sad, disenchanted lyrics, like most of Bowzer's songs — sad and very true.   
  
Without thinking, Elain moved a bit closer to Tyrallin, feeling a strange pull toward the young sire at this moment, a pull he could neither explain nor wanted to. It was a like a silent bond, sitting there and listening together to the song.   
  
Tyra half closed his eyes and just let the music wash over him. As the song continued, he tried to listen to it with new ears, as if he hadn’t heard it dozens of times already. He wondered what Elain thought of it. Stealthily, he stole a fleeting glance at the other lashran — Elain seemed more relaxed and mellow now than he had all night. The corners of Tyra’s lips twitched as he repressed a foolish grin. He’d finally put Elain at ease with him, though he wasn’t quite sure how he’d done it.   
  
As the last chords of the song began to gently fade away, Jaydin’s voice came over the mic, “Thank you very much, and the dogs are saying goodnight.”  
  
The crowd cheered and howled for the band as they departed. Tyra applauded and gave a brief cheer but decided to contain his howl to avoid breaking his companion’s softened mood. Before the cheering completely died down, though, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and found he had a text message from Sally.  
  
“Do you mind if I check this?” he asked Elain.  
  
“Of course not.” Elain took up his glass of mineral water again and continued to watch Bowzer vanish into the backstage area.  
  
Tyra accessed the message and read, “Hello loverboy, successful yet? It's getting late, and we're tired. Let's call it a night?”  
  
Tyra shut his cell phone and hesitated a moment, just looking at it. He’d completely forgotten about the bet. Somewhere along the way, he’d been thinking that his only challenge was getting Elain to smile for him, to relax for him.   
  
Okay, okay, get it together, he told himself.   
  
“My friends,” he finally said. “They want to head home, and we all rode together in the same car, so… I need to go. But I really want to see you again. Can I? We could meet here or somewhere else, whatever you like.” Tyra was pretty sure that if he looked down at his sleeve, he’d see his heart sitting right there.  
  
Fuck the bet, Tyra thought. Just say yes and give me another smile before I go.  
  
Elain turned his head to look at Tyra again, his hair brushing his cheek in just the manner Tyra had wanted to do with his fingertips moments ago.   
  
“As I said, I'm here very often,” Elain said, still not knowing why on Wyndrah he was talking like this. Maybe because the young sire was looking at him like a little kitten again?  
  
Tyra felt some of his tension ease, and he smiled as he got up from his bar stool. “Okay then. I'll see you later, Elain. It was a pleasure to meet you.” He felt an incredibly strong urge to lean over and give Elain a quick kiss, but he held that impulse in check and settled for an awkward little wave goodbye.  
  
“Goodnight, Tyrallin.”  
  
Elain granted the young sire a last smile. Too late, he caught himself doing it again and felt silly.  
  
Tyra hurried off to find Jerrik, Atsayal, and Sally. It took some searching, but he located them at another one of the little red tables. They were standing around it waiting for him.  
  
“Hey, guys, just let me close out my tab, and we can go,” he said as he approached. He spotted a waiter nearby and flagged him down.   
  
“Well? How was your luck tonight?” Jerrik demanded. “Don’t leave me hanging here.”  
  
Tyra shrugged as he handed his credit card to the waiter. “Can you close my tab, please?” After the waiter walked off, he turned back to Jerrik and shook his head. “I got his name, but no number. This round goes to you, man.”  
  
Jerrik grinned victoriously, but Sally butted in. “But you talked so long to him! Didn’t you get an address or a second date? That counts as much as a number.”  
  
“I agree,” Atsayal said, earning a betrayed look from his boyfriend. “But come on, spill! What happened?”  
  
Tyra frowned and shifted uncomfortably. “Not much to tell. We talked. He was really reluctant at first, and I had a hard time getting him to warm up to me. The only contact info I have is that he’s a regular here. I’m going to try to meet up with him here again, but I don’t really have any sort of date planned with him. He’s not the kind of guy that would date just anyone. Hell, I might not even be able to find him again.” To Tyra’s ears, that last part came out sounding more disgruntled than he’d intended it to.  
  
“Oh, that sounds a bit smitten,” Atsayal teased, grinning. “Seems like Jerrik picked out the right guy after all. And there we couldn't even decide from the distance if your target was a lifebearer or a sire. Care to unveil the mystery?”  
  
Tyra completely froze, and he felt his jaw go slack. Lifebearer or sire? He blinked rapidly, trying to recall Elain’s ears… but those had been covered by the fall of red hair. Tyra actually wasn’t even sure how tall Elain was — he’d been sitting on the bar stool the entire time. The eyes, then. His eyes had been… but he’d been wearing glasses, and in the dim light with so many shadows…  
  
As his hesitation dragged on just a bit too long, Jerrik started laughing hysterically. “Oh my gods, you don’t even know! You don’t know whether—” Jerrik clutched his side and leaned against the table for support as he laughed.  
  
“Dammit, no, I don’t know, and would you stop laughing, you ass?” Tyra said.   
  
“No, it's hilarious! There you talk to the guy until his ears bleed, and then you don't even take a look if they're round or pointed! Forests, Tyra, you're priceless!” Jerrik gasped, trying to get his wind back.   
  
Sally crossed her arms. “So, what of it? If the guy's really nice, what's the difference?”   
  
Atsayal wasn't experiencing the same spastic fits of laughter that Jerrik was, but he was giggling anyway. “You know, Sally-sweetie, we lashran may look like we're the same gender for the most part, but we are different. It is kind of funny if you think about it. Don't worry, Tyra, I'm sure it happens all the time.” But Atsayal couldn't keep a straight face, and he started giggling again.  
  
“Thanks for the support, guys,” Tyra snapped. The waiter came back with Tyra's credit card, receipt, and a pen, and he snatched them from the waiter and quickly scrawled his signature on the receipt. “Can we go now, or do you want to get a few more laughs in?”  
  
“Nah, let's go. We can make more fun of you in the car!” Jerrik slapped Tyra on the back. “Come on, man, no hard feelings! But you must admit it's pretty silly yourself.”  
  
The four friends squeezed through to the exit, enjoying the cool night air after long hours indoors.  
  
Sally linked arms with Tyra. “So, you really wanna see this guy again?” she asked.  
  
Tyra took a slow, deep breath of the chilly, fresh air and let it out equally slowly.  
  
“Yeah, I do. I just hope I can find him.”   
  
Sally huddled closer to him for warmth on the brisk, early spring night. “Even if you find out he's actually a sire?” she asked.  
  
“Yeah, even then,” he admitted. They walked along in silence for a few moments, following behind Jerrik and Atsayal, who were singing Bowzer songs off key together. “I need to make him smile some more. I don't think he smiles very often. But when he does...it's nice,” he finished lamely.  
  
“I don't think I ever heard you talk like that before,” Sally said in a slightly melancholy tone.   
  
“No? Hmm, I guess I haven't,” he replied, but his attention was already drifting away from the conversation. He had other things on his mind...  
  
...like the image of that sweet, somewhat wistful smile that Elain Silvestri had given him as he'd said goodnight, as well as all the possible ways he could meet up with Elain again.  
  
To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics "Century of Steel" (c) by Neko aka Arcaniel


	5. Chapter 5

Tyra woke late the next morning, and his first task of the day was waking up Jerrik, who was sleeping soundly on a mat on his bedroom floor. Not an easy task. When nudging and saying Jerrik’s name repeatedly didn’t work, Tyra set his alarm clock (his very loud, annoying alarm clock) to go off in a few minutes and then placed it close to Jerrik but just out of reach. Then Tyra went to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

As Tyra was brushing his teeth, he could clearly hear the alarm clock’s sudden blare and Jerrik’s subsequent cursing.

Shortly after that, they went downstairs to have breakfast in the kitchen. Lissem came and sat with them while they ate and asked questions about the concert. Tyra was grateful that Jerrik was there to tell most of the story for him, because his head was too full of thoughts and plans to give his father a satisfying summary. Jerrik mercifully left out the little story about their bet.

As they were finishing up breakfast and putting their dishes away, Feadri came into the kitchen, and Tyra could tell from his big eyes what the little scamp was hoping for. He went and got the autograph from his room and came back downstairs, and he presented it to Feadri. He hadn’t planned to tell Feadri or his parents that he’d been able to get only one autograph, but of course Jerrik was eager to tell Feadri and Lissem that little detail. Feadri looked up at Tyra like he was some sort of minor deity and gave him a crushing hug while thanking him over and over again. As Tyra patted Feadri’s head, he noticed Lissem giving him a look of warm parental approval that made Tyra’s ear tips flush.

After that, Tyra not-so-subtly urged Jerrik to get his things together and head home. Tyra had a lot he wanted to do that day. However, the most important part of his plan was thwarted just moments after Jerrik walked out the door.

“Tyra, Feadri,” Lissem said, “we’re having a family dinner-and-movie night tonight. I know your sire’s been working hard, and we haven’t seen as much of him as usual, so I wanted some family time this evening. I’ve already picked where we’re going for dinner, but you two can proceed to brawl over what movie we’re seeing.”

“But dad, I was hoping to—” Tyra started, but the look in his father’s eyes stopped him. Tyra knew very well that arguing about this would be futile.

There went his plans to return to the Velvet Shadow that evening.

However, he could still get something accomplished that day. Tyra went to the library and picked up three different books on mixing drinks. As an afterthought, he also picked up two lashran-oriented dating guides. With his materials in hand, he returned home and spent the afternoon holed up in his room, reading and taking notes.

That Saturday evening, Tyrallin had a pleasant night out with his family. He didn’t regret spending time with them, but at the same time he was anxious to get back to the Velvet Shadow and start trying to find Elain again. Who knew how many tries it would take to meet up with the other lashran? Tyra certainly didn’t know, and he wanted to start looking sooner rather than later.

Sunday came, and homework demanded Tyrallin’s attention. Monday came, and he set up an appointment to visit Dalling University on Tuesday afternoon of the following week. Tuesday came. Wednesday and Thursday also came and went.

Friday came, and with it came an excuse from Tyra to his father that he wanted to spend time at the library that evening. Thankfully his father didn’t seem to take any note of the fact that Tyra had put on some of his more mature, more attractive clothes.

Tyra did spend some time at the library — just enough to make his statement to his father true. He dropped off the books he’d borrowed and then headed straight for the Velvet Shadow.

Tyrallin arrived at about seven-thirty, so the evening was still very early, especially since there was no special event at the Velvet Shadow that night. A small line had formed outside the club, and he got through it quickly.

Once he got inside, he went straight for the bar, but there was no Elain.

“Shit,” he muttered. Tyra resolved to wait for a bit and see whether the other lashran showed up. He claimed one of the small tables that had a good view of the bar, ordered a drink, and settled down to wait.

Time passed, and Tyra had little to do besides observe the activities at the bar and think about what he would say and do if he managed to met Elain again. He also debated about whether he could get away with tucking Elain’s hair behind his ear so he could get a peek at whether it was pointed or rounded.

But as time continued to stretch out and Tyra continued to wait and watch, he grew increasingly anxious. Had he waited too long to come back? Elain had been reluctant to talk to him in the first place — perhaps he had decided to avoid the club and thus not have to worry about an awkward follow-up meeting with Tyra. Or what if Elain had already forgotten about their meeting? Maybe Tyra had simply built up that one meeting too much in his mind over the past week. Then again, what if Elain was actually interested in him as well, but their paths simply never happened to cross at the right time?

A bit over an hour after he’d arrived, Tyrallin’s nerves had built too high to simply continue waiting. If Elain really was a regular like he’d claimed, then someone here likely knew him. And the best sources of information at a bar were always the bartenders.

Tyra abandoned his little table and took a seat at the bar. He picked his seat strategically. He’d observed the bartenders somewhat over the past hour, and one of them seemed especially sharp and outgoing. The bartender was a female lashran, and Tyra had noticed she had a particularly strong tendency to recognize customers. She was also extremely attractive, and even Tyra, immune as he was to a female’s charms, thought she was a work of art.

And Tyra was in luck. She approached him before any of the other bartenders had a chance to.

“What kind of sweet poison can I get you, handsome?” she asked Tyra, giving him a heart-melting smile. “And I don't think I have seen you here before. New in town?”

Tyra returned her smile. “This is my second time here,” he replied. “I’ll take a red ale, if you have it on tap.” He hesitated with the rest of his request. Should he just come straight out and ask her? Or would that make him seem sort of creepy? Maybe he should lead into it casually.

“Coming right along!” She left Tyra for a moment to get his ale. She came back within minutes with a pint of foaming ale and gave him another beautiful smile. “Anything else I can do for you, handsome? I don't want to be nosy, but you seem like you're looking for someone.”

Tyra felt his jaw go slack. “How could you tell?” He’d been trying very hard to be casual. Clearly he hadn’t done very well.

The female lashran smirked knowingly. “I've seen thousands of people come through here. Some come for the music, some for the drinks, most for meeting others. You were very easy to categorize, handsome. I'm Marithia, by the way. Maybe I can help you?”

Tyra leaned forward eagerly. If what she said was true, she was exactly the person he needed to talk to. “I sure hope you can. I met someone here a week ago. We talked for a while, but I had to go before I could convince him to give me his number. He said he’s a regular here, though, and that we could possibly meet up here again, but…” Tyra trailed off, not quite sure how to explain his anxieties.

“But he hasn't shown up yet?” Marithia finished the sentence for him. “Well, handsome, either your wayward flirt will show up later - it is still very early - or it's one of the days he isn't coming at all. Or…” She paused. “A week ago, you said? Did you meet him during the Bowzer concert?”

“Yeah, but he wasn't really here for the concert. He said he was here on business,” Tyra replied. “Or what? You were about to say something else.”

“Well, on that evening a lot of the people who were down here on the disco floor were guests who normally only stay in the VIP lounge or other more private rooms. If the one you're looking for is a club member or a VIP, then you can sit here all night and he'll never show up. It was a rare occasion that those two crowds mingled during Bowzer's concert,” Marithia explained.

“Shit,” Tyra muttered. When he thought about Elain and his appearance and manners, he was pretty sure the guy had to be a VIP, in which case Marithia was exactly right. He just had to hope now that Elain hadn't been deliberately misleading when he called himself a regular. “Would you know any of those VIPs? I can describe him for you. He's lashran. He's gorgeous, but he's not what I'd call pretty — he's too stern and serious to be called pretty. He has red, no, auburn hair that comes down to his chin, and he wears glasses.”

Marithia's green, kohl-shadowed eyes grew slightly larger at this description.

“And was he wearing a black frock coat and drinking only water the whole evening?” she asked.

When Tyra nodded, she looked at him for a moment, clearly assessing him. Then she started to smile. “Forests, that's something unusual for sure — Elain voluntarily talking to someone. And he really told you that you could meet him here again? Wow.”

“Yeah, he said he'd show me how to mix drinks,” Tyra said. “Oh, gods, I'm so glad you know who I'm talking about. Do you think you can help me? Is there any way I can let him know I'm here?”

“Mixing drinks?” Marithia was more astonished by the minute. “Yes, of course I know how to reach him. I'll ask if he'd like to come down. What's your name, handsome?”

“Tyrallin,” he replied. He finally allowed himself to relax. Marithia seemed confident that Elain was in the building. But a nagging little thought caught in the back of Tyra's mind: How would a first-floor bartender know whether a particular customer was upstairs or not?

But he kept himself from asking any questions as Marithia nodded and headed off for the other end of the bar where a telephone was located. Tyra watched her talking; Marithia once again had a knowing little smile on her face.

After a few minutes, she came back to him. “Elain will come down. Just drink your beer and relax, handsome. If you've come this far with him, you need to keep a cool head now and don't get overly eager.”

“I’ll keep it cool,” Tyra replied. He had a feeling that if he didn’t keep it cool, he’d get shut out almost instantly. “Do you know Elain? Personally I mean. Is there anything you can tell me about him?”

Marithia's beautiful smile was at full force again. “So, you really are interested? And yes, I've known Elain personally for many years. I can't betray any confidences, of course, but I can tell you one thing you should always consider, if you really want to get to know him better.” She leaned over the bar, closer to Tyra, as if she wanted to tell him a big secret. “Be honest with him, always.”

Tyrallin leaned in conspiratorially. “Isn't that how you're supposed to be with everyone?”

“Of course! But sometimes people lie not because they have something to hide or any ill intentions, but because they're trying not to burden someone with the truth. Just keep in mind that Elain despises when people keep things from him, for whatever reason.” Marithia put some distance between them. “That's all I can give you, I'm afraid.”

She took a glance at the elevator area. “And there he is. Good luck, sweetheart.” With a last, blinding smile, she left Tyra to his fate.

Tyra had gotten caught up in their conversation, so he was now caught off guard by the fact that his...his what? crush? maybe obsession...had suddenly arrived. Tyra took a deep breath and slowly turned around on his bar stool.

Elain was approaching, but the other lashran stopped when Tyra met his eyes. Tyra put on a smile that he hoped was as confident as he wished he could be. “Hi again,” he called out. “I came to take you up on your offer of drink lessons.”

Elain frankly had no idea what he was doing down here.

He had been quite busy with his paperwork in his office. Since the Bowzer concert dozens of inquiries for membership had arrived, and he also had to write a polite letter to Councilman Tavis, sending his last membership fee back and nullifying his VIP membership status. It had been a tough decision, but a justified one. Jaydin's hints had been enough to tell Elain that the councilman had made an immoral and therefore offending offer.

In the midst of all this, Marithia had called him, telling him that a charming young sire was waiting down at the disco floor, looking like a lost puppy. “I know it's none of my business, boss,” she had said. “But if you don't want to lead this poor kid on, come down here and clear things up.”

So there he was, still having no idea what to say to Tyra. During the past few days, his thoughts had often and quite against his will wandered to the somehow cute young sire. It had been nice, chatting with him; a feeling at bit similar to having a purring Velvet in his arms.

And because of this, he didn't know what to do now. Maybe it was best if he just honored his promise and then sent Tyrallin on his way.

“Good evening, Tyrallin,” Elain greeted him and crossed the room. “So you are still interested?” He purposely left open what he meant — interest in learning to mix drinks or interest in Elain himself.

Tyra smiled at the other lashran and got up from his seat. “Very,” he replied. Belatedly, he realized just how much warmth he'd put into that one little word, and he hurried to continue on. “Of course, that is, if you're still willing to help out a complete novice.”

“I promised, didn't I? And I'm a man of my word.”

Elain glanced at the bar where Marithia busied herself with polishing glasses and faking disinterest. Although it was still early, he couldn't just get behind the bar of the first floor, and Marithia knew that as well. The damn woman had planned it all out. If Elain didn't send Tyrallin on his way right now, thus breaking his word, he would have to take him elsewhere for more privacy.

“Let's go upstairs,” Elain said. “I have access to a private lounge.”

Tyra couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at that. Private lounge, huh? He either works here or he's really one hell of a VIP, Tyra thought to himself. “Lead the way! Well, that is if I can get in without a membership.”

“I can take you with me since I have a keycard,” Elain told him.

With a last, warning glare at Marithia, he turned back to the elevators. There he used his master keycard to get them to the fourth floor, where several small VIP lounges were located.

Elain himself didn't visit here very often, but of course he had a hand in the design of the room. All of the lounges were monochrome, the chosen color tone only varying in intensity and brightness. Elain chose the turquoise room, since the cool shades ranging from deep teal to bright cyan up to tender mint always had a calming effect. It was a bit like being underwater. Even the prints decorating the walls showed abstract sea motifs.

“I'd been wondering what these VIP rooms were like,” said Tyra. “Very swanky.” He went and ran his hand along the polished bar. “So, you're not just an ordinary regular, are you, Elain?”

“No, not really. So, should we begin?”

Elain wasn't in the mood yet to tell Tyrallin that he was the owner of this club. If they really wanted to have a nice, friendly evening, it was better not to mention it. Elain was so tired of being treated like a shy celebrity, and he found it surprisingly refreshing to meet someone who was so utterly natural.

Tyra gave a small laugh. “Okay, fine, you go ahead and keep being mysterious. I'll figure you out sooner or later,” he said. And would you mind showing me your ears or taking off your glasses while you're at it? Tyra thought. Of course, there was no way he could say that at this point. He would have to be patient and observant. He took in Elain’s height, but couldn’t really make a judgment call based on that trait because the other lashran was only one or two inches shorter than Tyra, and Tyra was slightly taller than an average sire.

Meanwhile, he walked behind the bar and grinned at his erstwhile teacher. “Let's say I'm a bartender starting on my first day. What's your most important piece of advice to me?”

Elain caught himself smiling slightly since Tyrallin's grin was so infectious.

“If it was about the job itself, I'd say that you have to listen to your guests. That's more important than mixing drinks. The general cliché of people telling anything to bartenders is absolutely true,” he told Tryallin, joining him behind the bar. “But when it comes to mixing drinks, you start by having all the ingredients with you. But for that we need to decide what to mix. Any preferences concerning the alcohol part? And do you like it sweet or spicy?”

Tyra's grin faltered, and his brain stuttered to a halt momentarily. A bit of warmth flared in the lower area of Tyra's stomach. Did Elain intend the innuendo when he'd said...? No, Tyra could tell by Elain's expression that he hadn't, but that didn't stop the effect that it had on Tyra. He was suddenly very, very aware that they were perfectly alone.

“Uh, sweet, usually, but spicy too. That is, I like rum.” Tyra knew he wouldn't be winning any awards for smoothness at this rate.

Elain pulled out half a dozen bottles from the cupboard behind them, and they all seemed to be some kind of rum.

“As you can see, we have a wide variety, but white rum is used in most drinks,” he explained. “Let's start with something simple and sweet. Have you ever tried a 'perfect kiss'?”

Tyra was lucky that Elain wasn't looking at him at that moment, because he was sure his eyes had flared with a downright lascivious look at the mention of a perfect kiss. He quickly swiped a hand over his face and told himself to get it together.

“No, I can't say that I have. What's the mix?” he asked as he reached for one of the bottles of white rum.

Although Elain noticed that something was troubling Tyrallin, he decided to ignore it for the moment.

“Besides the rum, we need a shot of peach liqueur, soda, a strawberry, and crushed ice. If you take a look into the fridge, you'll find some fruits and the ice.” He pointed at the chrome-colored, gleaming fridge that looked big enough to hold the food for a large family.

Meanwhile Elain pulled out the bottle of peach liqueur and a margarita glass. It was strange, mixing a drink again after such a long time. It was also quite different since he didn't have to do it for money, but just for fun.

Tyra got out the fruit and ice as requested and placed them on the counter. “Here you go. If you don't mind my asking, how long were you a bartender? You seem really at home behind the bar.”

“I worked as a bartender for thirty-one years,” Elain told him, unscrewing the bottles of rum and peach liqueur. “But as I said, it's been a while now.”

Upon looking back, he really had spent a long part of his life behind a bar, mixing drinks and being a good listener while people told him their worries. Being a bartender also meant being a part of the club or bar - not really as a person, but as equipment. Back then, he didn't have to worry about people talking to him because they wanted anything from him. They just needed their drinks and someone listening while they talked, nothing else. Sometimes Elain missed that anonymity.

Tyrallin didn't have to work very hard to figure out that Elain was quite a bit older than he'd originally thought. At a very minimum, he was over fifty years old. Tyra wondered whether Elain would have agreed to this little lesson if he knew Tyra was eighteen, and he was pretty sure the answer was no.

But then Tyra looked once more at the serene, focused expression on Elain's handsome face, and he decided he didn't really care.

“Thirty-one years? That's a significant chunk of time. I bet you heard a lot of interesting stories while you were behind the counter. Probably met some interesting people, too.”

“Yes, I did. Some of the stories were so unrealistic that I'd never have believed them if the people telling them hadn’t been drunk. Drunks don't lie.” Elain smiled at some of the old memories the conversation had stirred up. “But let's get to the task. Now we have everything we need, so we can start making the drink. Please put some crushed ice into the glass with a spoon, and be careful not to get the ice on the rim of the glass,” he instructed Tyrallin.

Tyra did as he was instructed. “Aw, I'm sure you can tell me a story as we do this. I can tell you have a good one. I can practically see the story forming on the tip of your brain.” He deliberately turned big and hopeful eyes on Elain.

“Well, if you insist,” Elain gave in. “There was this woman crying in her margarita because her husband was cheating on her. But she loved him too much to leave him. The next evening, another young woman came, angrily telling me that her lover couldn't work up the courage to divorce his wife. And the following day, I had a human man sitting at the bar, feeling totally helpless because he could tell neither his wife nor his girlfriend that he had fallen in love with a lifebearer. During the evening, it became clear that it had been his wife and his lover who had been my customers before, but I just advised him to be honest with everyone. Subsequently, his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend met at the bar a few weeks later, drank together, cursed men in general, and became friends.”

Elain gave Tyra the liquor bottles and a beaker. “Now measure respectively two centiliters rum and peach liqueur and pour it over the ice.”

Tyra once again did as he was instructed, being careful not to spill a drop. “That guy sure was thickheaded, wasn't he? I sure hope he figured himself out. You can't just treat people like that without racking up some pretty bad karma. I wonder whether he and the lifebearer ended up together.”

“I actually learned how the whole story ended a month later,” Elain continued. “An enraged sire came in, drinking himself under the table while telling me his bondmate had left him for a human man. That evening a female lashran was also there, comforting him. She finally offered to take him home since he couldn't drive. I suppose they got together in the end.”

With careful eyes he watched what Tyra was doing and nodded. “Good. Now fill the glass up with soda.”

Tyra poured the soda. “You know, everything seems neat and tidy with your little story. The wife and the mistress became friends. The man and the lifebearer got together. The sire and the lady lashran could potentially have ended up happy as well. But still, I can't help but think there's something very sad about the story.”

Elain looked at him. “I can't tell for sure if they all ended up happy with each other. But it would have spared all of them a lot of grief if they had been more honest from the beginning. It's not the only story of this kind I heard in my time as a bartender. Most of their conflicts stemmed from keeping secrets.”

“Well, there are big secrets and there are little secrets, and then there's cheating on your spouse, which is a whole special brand of wrongness right there. It sounds to me like those people didn't have their heads on straight.” Tyra picked up the drink he'd been mixing. “So, is there anything else I need to do to make this kiss perfect?” Tyrallin wagged his eyebrows.

“The strawberry. Take one, cut it in half, and then gently push it under the layer of ice with a spoon,” Elain instructed him. “Be very careful so the drink doesn't spill over. Then it is the 'perfect kiss'.”

Tyra couldn't resist a quick glance at Elain's lips before he picked up he cut up the strawberry and gently nudged it under the ice. He picked up the glass and lifted it inquisitively. “May I?”

Elain nodded and made a small gesture. “Of course.”

Tyra took a small first sip, and he let out a pleased sound. It really tasted like a sweet kiss on the lips with someone who had just taken a bite out of a fresh fruit. “This is delicious.” He took another drink and gave a small hum of pleasure.

There it was again, Elain's small, content smile. “You see? It's not that difficult, if you know how to do it and do it right. Perfection just takes dedication.”

Tyra smiled over the rim of his glass. “Hmm, I think I should definitely dedicate myself to the perfect kiss. It sounds very worthwhile.” He took another sip. “I'd like to have a seat and enjoy my drink. Would you mind joining me?”

“Please take a seat,” Elain offered and gestured to one of the teal leather couches in one corner of the room. Then he pulled out a bottle of mineral water and a glass for himself. After Tyra sat down, he joined him on the couch, albeit with a little distance, and poured himself a glass of water.

“You're here at this club quite frequently from what I understand, but I have yet to see you drink a drop of alcohol,” Tyra said. “Any particular reason?”

The open expression on Elain's face vanished for a moment and was replaced by the cool, distant look Tyra had first seen on him.

“Yes, there is a reason.” He hesitated for a moment and considered not telling his companion anything about his dislike for any beverages besides water. But then he continued, since it did no harm if Tyrallin knew about it.

“I worked at a lot of bars that weren't nearly as clean as the Velvet Shadow is now. Almost every evening, I had to replace a customer's drink because their companion had put a drug in it. And it's impossible to put anything into water without affecting its taste immediately. Marithia calls me paranoid because I still don't drink anything else.”

Tyra frowned. Unbidden, an image of Feadri, a little older and a little more free to do as he wished, came into his mind. He decided he was going to have a talk with his little brother sometime very soon about safety measures when partying.

“I'm not sure I'd call it paranoia. How about dedicated caution? And given what you say you've seen, I think it's entirely understandable.” Tyra put his glass down on the table in front of them and then he put an elbow up on the back of the couch and turned his body more fully toward his companion. “So, you've known Marithia a long time? Are you two close?”

“I've known her for some decades now,” Elain said, sipping at his water. “She was a dancer first, but now she manages the first floor. She is its heart and soul. I guess it took her just a glance at you to figure out why you were here?”

Tyra laughed easily. “Yeah, you're right. She had me pegged before I even opened my mouth to ask for a drink. If she can do that with pretty much everyone who walks in the door, she's a powerful force to have behind the bar. I just bet she's lots of fun to hang out with.” A rather foreign thought occurred to Tyra then. Did he perhaps have competition after all? From a female no less? It would be a first for him.

Elain's smile was back. “Yes she is, although she can be pretty nosy. That's why she didn't waste a moment to call me. And I advise you to leave later without speaking to her. She won't be satisfied until she knows every word that we've said.”

Tyrallin perked back up. That was right. Marithia had called Elain down to meet Tyra. Perhaps “nosy” here could mean Marithia wanted to see how things turned out? Perhaps Marithia could be an ally of some sort? Tyra resolved to talk to the female lashran at some point in the future, if not tonight, then some other time. “Well, it's not like we're doing or saying anything terribly secretive or naughty, is it? Of course, we could if you like.” Tyrallin grinned extra widely to show that he was teasing. Mostly.

Elain arched an elegant eyebrow. “And there I thought you had given up already. Is it just that the harder it gets, the harder you want to succeed?”

He remembered asking Davaric Ashton the same question a week ago, and now he expected a similar, vehement protest that this wasn't the case at all.

Tyra felt his eyebrows rise, and he gave a small shrug. “If you're implying what I think you're implying, then I don't really see that anything in particular is getting any harder. Besides, didn't we pretty much agree that dedication is required to achieve perfection?”

“Yes, of course. But I've met enough people who just love a challenge. The moment they get what they want, it's no longer interesting. Like with the drugged drinks, I've seen it too often to have any faith in that area.”

Elain noticed Tyrallin's empty glass and stood up to take it away.

“Would you like to learn another mix?” he asked casually, his light tone belying the cool words from before.

Tyra's head was spinning. One moment the other lashran seemed to be verbally warning Tyra away with all his might, and the next moment he calmed back down and returned to being serene and inviting. Tyra could hardly keep up.

“I think I'd better not. I have to drive myself home this evening, you know. I think I'll be heading to a coffee shop before I find my way back to my car,” he replied.

“We have some coffee here, too,” Elain replied, busying himself with cleaning up the bar. He also needed some distance from Tyrallin again.

There he had expected some denials and flattery, but the young sire continued to be honest and open. Either he was a really good actor, or he truly was always like this. But Elain knew from experience that if something seemed too good to be true, then it usually wasn’t true.

Tyra rose and approached the bar. While Elain had has hands full and was putting items back into the fridge, Tyra moved behind him to hold the fridge door open for him.

Elain put the ice, soda, and strawberries back in, then he turned around.

“So, you want a coffee or...”

The instant Elain was facing him, Tyrallin very, very gently put one hand along Elain's cheek and leaned down just slightly to press his lips to Elain's in a light and lingering kiss. He let his lips graze and just slightly part against Elain's, and then he pulled back. Tyra instantly had second thoughts about pulling back, so he quickly moved back in to playfully kiss right on the bow in Elain's upper lip. Then he pulled back again so that he could look into Elain's eyes through those trendy glasses of his, being sure to keep his hand on Elain's cheek.

Elain was too surprised to react. He just stared at Tyrallin, unable to believe that the young sire was so impudent as to attack him like this. Anger boiled up inside him, but at the same time the sudden and totally unexpected sweetness of the kiss stopped him from shoving Tyra away.

It was no clumsy, eager, wet assault, but a slow, unhurried, almost reverent kiss, yet with a passion that was barely hidden beneath the surface.

A perfect kiss.

Tyra looked straight into Elain's eyes — lovely violet eyes with rounded pupils, Tyra noted — for a moment before he spoke. “I keep hearing the word honest from you. Here's a little completely honest fact about me that you should know: I don't love challenges. I crave them. I'm always happiest when I've got a challenge in front of me. And my favorite challenges are ones that keep on going. I'm only going to be interested in someone who I think can keep on challenging me and who likes it when I challenge him as well. If I can't manage to find someone like that, well,” Tyra gave a minute shrug, “I'll just turn into a crusty old bachelor sire, and that's how it'll be.” Tyra gently stroked his thumb once along Elain's cheek before he let his hand fall back to his side.

“That was indeed honest,” Elain managed to answer and instinctively took a step back. It wasn't exactly fleeing, more like getting his personal space back. “And now I know that you are indeed the most brazen sire I ever met.”

His anger had already vanished when he had looked into the young sire's hazel eyes, so open and fierce, so strangely innocent despite their wanting glow. Tyra's words also had sounded completely straightforward.

Could he dare to trust?

“But I do hope that you didn't just propose to me,” Elain added as dryly as he could, which wasn't much at the moment.

Tyra couldn't help it; he started laughing so hard that his side hurt. Partly it was the humor of the statement, but partly he was also relieved that Elain hadn't slapped him.

“No, no, I didn't just propose. Forests!” Tyrallin wiped a tear that was leaking from the corner of one of his eyes. “Well, no proposal, but I would like to propose that you let me take you out on a real date. Please? How about dinner? Some sort of favorite of yours. If you don't like dinner, we could do a movie. Is there anything playing that you'd like to see? Or coffee. I can live with it if you let me treat you to coffee, but really, you should just let me take you out to dinner.”

Once again Elain felt a bit helpless at the full force of Tyrallin's infectious laugh and big, pleading eyes. Although he had been resolved to send the young sire on his way for good, now he felt the treacherous urge to be in his company again.

Just one date couldn't possibly hurt. Then Elain would now for sure if he could trust him.

“Would it be enough of a challenge if I said yes to dinner and that I want to be pleasantly surprised?” he asked.

Tyrallin felt like jumping for joy, but he settled for grinning and giving a courteous bow of his head. “That would be a great challenge, because what's more difficult than choosing the right restaurant for a first date? I'll probably change my mind a hundred times before I finally pick the place.”

“Well, you have time until tomorrow. We can meet in front of the Velvet Shadow at eight o'clock sharp,” Elain said.

At first he had considered waiting until next Friday, but he wanted to complete his opinion about Tyrallin. If he found anything he didn't like, it was better to know it as soon as possible and spare them both a lot of trouble.

He also knew that if he had enough time to think it through, he'd cancel the date altogether. Even now, his mind told him very firmly that it was a bad idea. No sire was as nice as Tyrallin seemed to be, and for kissing him without permission he deserved to be chucked out immediately, not given another chance.

But the voice of reason was clearly drowning in the persistent shouts if his heart, telling him to give it a try. Elain was older now, no naive young lifebearer who couldn't see the difference between a decent person and a bastard. Those times were over, once and for all.

“Tomorrow?” Tyra thought rapidly for a moment, making sure that he didn't have other plans. No, there was nothing going on tomorrow night. He'd have to find an excuse to get out of the house, but Jerrik or Jamie could likely help with that. “That means I'll probably only have enough time to change my mind fifty times, but that's probably a good thing. Okay then, tomorrow it is. Eight o'clock. Front entrance.”

Elain crossed his arms, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. “And I think that you can indeed grab your coffee elsewhere and cool your head off a bit. Come on, I'll take you downstairs.”

Tyra laughed softly. “I'm not sure I'll be able to cool my head off for a while after that kiss. But that's just fine; I should go. I want to start thinking about the best place to take you tomorrow. Oh, and is there any chance I can get some sort of contact info for you? A phone number? An email address? I might need to contact you about dinner. And I should give you my number.” Tyrallin started looking around for paper and a pen.

Elain pulled out a fountain pen and two blank calling cards from his vest pocket. With a neat, almost print-like hand, he wrote down an email address on one card, then gave the pen and the cards to Tyrallin.

“Thanks.” Tyra tucked the card from Elain into his pocket and he quickly wrote down his phone number and email address on the second calling card and handed it and the fancy pen back. Elain began to head toward the door of the VIP room, and Tyra followed along behind. “Is there any kind of food you don’t like that I should be aware of?”

As Elain opened the elevator doors with his keycard, he answered, “No. I like anything besides fast food. Just surprise me.”

They got in the elevator, and it brought them down to the first floor within seconds. There, considerably more guests than before were dancing on the disco floor and sitting at the bar. The Velvet Shadow was coming to life for the evening.

Elain took a quick glance at the bar, but Marithia was busy chatting with some customer, so she wouldn’t notice Tyrallin and Elain. He was grateful for that.

“Well, I'll see you tomorrow,” Elain said. “And before you even dare to think about it, you had quite enough kisses for this evening. Goodnight, Tyrallin.”

“I completely disagree about the kisses, but since you say I’m cut off for the night, I guess I’ll just be on my way and content myself with the fact that I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Elain,” Tyra said with a smile. He lingered for a moment before he turned and made his way to the exit.

He felt like howling for joy, but he settled for a vehement “Yes!” as he made his way through the crowd.

Elain stood there for a moment, then he turned around to head back to the elevator before Marithia could catch him.

Well, he'd done it: He had agreed to a date after uncounted years. Elain still wasn't sure if it was a good idea and would never have said yes if any other sire had asked him out. But this Tyrallin… Elain couldn't explain it at all. Maybe he was feeling this way because Tyrallin was so different from the people Elain was used to.

But this one evening wasn't enough to make a decision. Sooner or later the whole thing would reveal its catch, and Elain was prepared to find it as soon as possible. It would be less painful that way.

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, one of the first things Tyrallin did was make a list of possible restaurants for that evening's date, which he'd been brainstorming about since he left the club the night before. He ended up with a list of twenty-two restaurants, and from there he started eliminating them one at a time: This place was too noisy for good conversation, that place would be too busy to get into, this place would be too expensive, and so on.

When he finally had his top pick, he called Jerrik. Unfortunately, Jerrik had still been asleep.

“Hello?” Jerrik said in a sleep-roughened voice.

“Wakey, wakey, sleeping sire,” Tyra teased.

“Man, Tyra, it's too early. And it's Saturday. Go back to bed and let me sleep.” Tyrallin heard a sound of weight thumping on fabric, and he figured Jerrik had just flopped back onto his bed.

“Just one thing really quickly,” Tyra assured him. “Are you doing anything tonight?”

“Tonight? Yeah, me and some of the other guys from the club are hitting the downtown boarding park after dinner, so sixish, sevenish. Why, what's up?”

“Perfect! Count me in. What time are you headed out?” Tyra asked.

“What?” Jerrik's voice held a note of suspicion. “But you hate the downtown park. I thought you said it was a lame excuse for a skateboard park.”

“It is. But I need legit plans tonight to get out of the house,” Tyra explained. “I'll only be there for an hour or so.”

“So, what are your plans afterward?” Jerrik sounded awake now and very curious. “Don't tell me you’re gonna rob a bank or something and need an alibi? Come on, man, spill!”

“Nah, no bank robbing involved. But you're probably not going to believe me when I tell you,” Tyra said.

“Try me,” came Jerrik's response.

Tyra hesitated a moment and tapped his cell phone with his thumb. Finally, he said, “I have a date.”

“A date?!” Jerrik was practically screaming into the phone, and Tyra had to hold it away from his ear to keep from going deaf. “You're right, I don't believe it. Who is this guy, and how on Wyndrah did you work up the courage to ask him out?”

“Oh come on, I'm not that bad.” Tyra thought about it for a second. “Okay, so I am that bad, but it wasn't really a matter of working up the courage in this case. I just discovered that it was a whole different situation with this guy. He doesn't make me feel nervous or self-conscious, so I can just talk to him. You saw him once before. It's that guy from the Velvet Shadow. Elain.”

“Oh, the mysterious heartthrob that little old me picked out for you,” Jerrik snorted. “So you still don't want to admit that you've lost our bet, so you’ve tried again? Or is it serious?”

“Get off it already,” Tyra groused. “You won fair and square. Man, have I ever told you that you're a sore winner? And hell yes, I'm serious. I went back and talked to him last night, and I convinced him to let me take him out. He said tonight, and I could tell by the way he said it that it was tonight or not at all. So I'll meet up with you guys, board a little bit, and then hit the road.”

“And do you know yet where to take him? I mean, even I could tell from a distance that he's not exactly playing in our league.”

“Yeah, you got that right. But he told me I could pick the place and surprise him, so that's what I'm going to do. I get the feeling he spends all his time downtown, so I'm taking him to the west side to eat at Nica's Mixer. Nice and casual and fun. I just hope he likes it.”

“Good idea,” Jerrik agreed. “But you might have to impress him further. Lifebearers are usually... wait, he is a lifebearer, right? Or are you dating a sire, man? I mean, it's okay, but I'm curious.”

Tyra smiled at the memory. “He's a lifebearer alright.” With really soft lips and beautiful eyes hidden behind those glasses.

“Then you really have to thank me, man, for picking him out! You have to introduce him to us sometime, you hear me? I mean, if it's becoming serious.” Tyra heard a rustling sound, then Jerrik cursed under his breath. “Damn, why didn't you tell me what time it is? I promised Atsayal I'd go shopping with him. See you later, man! Let's meet at the park at six.”

“See you later,” Tyra replied and then hung up. He tucked his cell phone into his pocket and went downstairs to get something to eat. He found his father in the kitchen, putting cleaned dishes away in their proper places in the cupboards.

“Oh good, Tyra, why don't you help me finish this?” Lissem asked.

Tyra ambled over and grabbed a couple of pots out of the dishwasher to put them away. “Hey, I was just talking to Jerrik. I'm going skateboarding with him tonight. I'll probably be out most of the evening.”

“No problem, dear. Feadri wants to go to the movies with his friends, so your sire and I will have a nice, quiet evening together,” Lissem replied with a smile. “It's been a while since we had one. When will you be back?”

Tyrallin felt his ear tips start to get warm. “I'll plan to be home late, and I swear to the Forests, I will knock on any door before entering any room in this house when I get back.” He was still trying to forget that last time he'd walked in on his parents while they were getting frisky in the laundry room.

“That's my wonderful, intelligent son.” Lissem was blushing a bit himself, not entirely comfortable with the situation either. He quickly changed the subject. “I still have some muffins left. Do you want to take some with you to share with your buddies?”

“Nice of you to offer, but I'll pass.” No matter how many times he'd tried to explain it, he just couldn't get his dad to realize that bringing muffins was a quick way to get labeled “uncool” with the punkish and street-styled skateboarding crowd. “More muffins for me that way!” Tyra grabbed one muffin and put it in his mouth, holding it with his teeth, grabbed a second muffin, got out a glass and put it on the counter, and then pulled a carton of milk out of the fridge to pour himself a glass with his free hand.

“Some day you'll get yourself injured with those acrobatics,” his father chided. “And when you've slipped on some spilled milk and broken your neck, I won't clean up the mess.” He grabbed the milk carton from Tyra as soon as the glass was full and put it back into the fridge. “And don't eat too many sweets. I'll make chicken for lunch.”

“Can't talk right now, dad, I'm busy eating sweets,” Tyra said, but around his mouth full of muffin, it came out more like “Cab halk rai neow, did, ahm hizy unding fweets.”

“Oh, you!” Lissem threw a dish rag at Tyra, which he dodged, and he quickly beat a retreat from the kitchen with his muffins and milk.

Tyra went into the living room and found Feadri lounging on the couch, watching cartoons on the television. Feadri was wearing Tyra's gray-and-white-striped hoodie. Tyra took a seat on the couch with him, put down his glass, and pulled his muffin out of his mouth.

“When exactly did I say you had permission to raid my closet?” Tyra asked casually. He took a bite of a muffin as he coolly regarded his little brother.

Feadri shrugged. “All my comfy clothes are in the laundry, and I can't remember the last time you wore this hoodie. So I thought you wouldn't mind. Or do you need it now?”

“Nah, I don't need it right now.” Tyrallin finished his first muffin and put the second one down on a magazine lying next to his glass of milk. “But, see, the thing is, there's a tickle tax on hoodie loans. C'mere!” Tyra pounced on his little brother and began mercilessly exploiting his ticklish sides and neck.

“Gah!” Feadri fell onto his side, ineffectively trying to evade Tyra's attack. “I give in!” he gasped, but the next moment he wiggled away and attacked Tyra.

Tyra let out an “oof” as Feadri knocked into him, but then he grabbed his brother around the middle, bodily lifted him up, and dropped him back onto the couch, sending pillows flying. Feadri hollered in indignation. Then Feadri hooked an arm around Tyra's neck and started roughing up his spiked hair, and Tyra started thrashing, dislodging several couch cushions.

“Boys, what are you doing in there?” Lissem shouted from the kitchen. “If you're going to roughhouse, take it outside.”

“Sorry!” both yelled in unison. Giggling and gasping, the siblings let go of each other, grinning like little children who kept a secret from the adults.

“So, what are your plans for today?” Feadri asked. “Wanna come to the movies? I'll keep Natalie and Zidal from drooling all over you. Popcorn for you, and you drive us home?”

“Sometimes I think you only love me for my car,” Tyra said as he tried to straighten his hair back up into proper spikes. “And sorry, no can do. I'm out this evening, too, in a completely different direction. I'm going boarding with Jerrik, so you're going to have to find somebody else to mooch a ride off of.” Tyra picked up his remaining muffin and split it in half, offering part to Feadri.

His little brother took it and started to munch away happily. “Hm, pity,” he answered with a full mouth, but Tyra was adept at understanding him anyway. “But if skating gets too boring, the offer still stands.”

“Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if I get a sudden urge to have my ass stared at all night by your little friends,” Tyra said, and Feadri stuck his tongue out at him. Tyra stuffed the rest of his muffin in his mouth and picked up his glass of milk and went back to the kitchen. He washed his muffin down and left his glass in the sink.

Tyra went up to his room and spent some time reading. When it was sometime after noon and he was sure Nica's Mixer was open for lunch, he called the restaurant and made a reservation for two for that evening. Just as he was hanging up, he heard the cheerful chime of the doorbell, and a moment later Feadri shouted up the stairs to him.

“Tyraaaa! Sally's here!”

Tyra, unphazed by the unexpected appearance of his friend, put his cell phone back in his pocket and headed downstairs.

Sally was standing in the hallway, chatting with Lissem and trying to convince him not to offer her muffins. “I really have to cut down on the calories,” she told him with a mournful expression. “My favorite top doesn't fit anymore.”

Tyra took Feadri by the shoulders and moved him until he was pointing in the direction of the living room and then he gave his little brother a gentle shove between the shoulder blades. “Go on, back to your cartoons.”

“Fine, fine,” Feadri muttered as he left.

Tyra turned to Sally then. “Stop worrying about calories. You're not getting fat. You're just getting more...” Tyra pondered the right term. “...female. So, what brings you to the Alwick abode?”

Sally furrowed her brows, trying to decide if she had gotten a compliment or been insulted.

“I brought the DVDs you asked me for the other day. We could watch some of them together, if you have time,” she offered.

“Oh hey, great,” Tyra said as he took the DVD box set from her. It was the first season of a murder mystery television series they'd been watching in the last year. “But, as you can probably hear, Feadri's got the TV right now. He's been watching cartoons all morning, and he'll probably keep it up for most of the afternoon. Besides, I need you for something else. Come with me.”

Tyra started leading Sally up the stairs to his room, but his father showed up just at that moment and put his hands on his hips.

“Sally dear, do you want to stay for lunch?” he asked. “We have plenty of fat-free chicken. And Tyra, it's your turn to help me out in the kitchen. Don't forget it!”

Tyra rolled his eyes and came back down the couple of stairs he'd climbed up. “Yes, dad, whatever you say, dad.” He trudged into the kitchen

“Well,” said Sally, “I've already had lunch, but I'll definitely stay to watch you two bickering, and I'll probably steal a couple bites off somebody's plate.”

Meanwhile, Tyra started scrounging around in the fridge for some sort of vegetable matter that he could fix as part of lunch.

He quickly found a nice head of lettuce that needed to be washed and cut. Without asking, Sally started to help him.

As Lissem went out of the kitchen to fetch something, Sally asked, “Well, what did you need me for, besides helping in the kitchen?”

“Picking out clothes,” Tyra said softly as he rinsed the lettuce in the sink. “I'm taking a guy out to dinner tonight and” Tyra quickly slapped a damp hand over Sally's mouth just as she made a big gasp but before she made any louder noise, “and the family doesn't need to know about it, okay? I just want an opinion on the clothes, that's all.”

The girl nodded, and Tyra pulled his hand away. He couldn't stop Sally from grinning broadly, however. “You really have a date? Then we'll have to shiny you up so that he'll be all dazzled!”

Tyra allowed himself a small, pleased smile as he shook the water out of the lettuce and put it on a cutting board for chopping. “Thanks. Knew I could count on you. Hey, by the way, it's that guy from last week. You know? The one Jerrik dared me to talk to.”

“Really? Back then you said you wanted to see him again, but frankly I didn't believe you'd manage it. And, what's he like? What's his name? Come one, Tyra, tell me!” Sally begged.

“Elain,” Tyra said, but he was prevented from saying anything further because Lissem reappeared with various leaves from the indoor herb garden he kept in the small sun room at the back of the house.

They three of them cooked lunch together in relative harmony, which was occasionally broken up by squabbles between Tyra and his father about who needed what utensil or what needed to be done. Sally set the table, and a short while later, they called Feadri in and had lunch together.

While they chatted about various things, Tyra could see how excited Sally was. She wiggled impatiently in her chair, anxious to hear the rest of his story.

After lunch, Tyra and Sally helped cleaning up, then they vanished into Tyra's room as fast as possible. The girl was practically bursting at the seams with curiosity and flopped down on her friend's bed. “And?”

“Aaand, I went back to the Velvet Shadow last night, found him, and asked him out. Somehow he agreed. I've got an excuse to get out of the house tonight, and I'm going to take him to Nica's Mixer. That's the story.” Tyra went to his closet and started pulling out shirts and throwing them over his desk chair.

“And now you don't know what to wear, right? Nica's Mixer isn't the fanciest of places, so I'd keep it casual yet sexy.” Sally got up and started to examine the growing pile of shirts. “What about the dark red long-sleeved one you brought two weeks ago? Some jeans without holes to go with it, and you'd be perfect.”

“You're assuming I even have jeans without holes,” Tyra quipped. Then he rummaged through his hanging clothes until he found the red one and pulled it out. He wiggled it in the air in front of Sally. “This one, you think?

“Yep,” Sally agreed. “And do something about your hair, will you? It looks like a bird has made its nest in it.”

Tyra ran a hand through his mussed hair. “Geez, it's not like I'm leaving right now! Besides, it's not my fault. Feadri did it, and I just haven't had a chance to fix it yet.” Tyrallin kept the red shirt out and let it hang off the back of his desk chair, and he started putting the rest of the clothes away. “So how's your college hunt going? Made a decision yet?”

“No, not really. Truth be told, I wanted to wait until you've made a decision. I don't want to go alone. And, well, there's still the problem of me not getting any scholarships. Studying design still requires good grades at math.” She made a face.

Tyrallin pondered that for a moment before replying. “You know I might not go anywhere that has a good design program, right? Shouldn't you be looking at which schools have a design program and professors you like? You know, you should be glad you at least have an idea of what to look for.”

“I've been to several colleges already,” she said. “And those in the vicinity of Valkyrie Falls all seem to have great design programs. I couldn't decide myself since everything looks so promising. And you? Any progress yet?”

Tyra shrugged. “I'm visiting Dalling this Tuesday afternoon. Still have to set up and appointment with Raylington. I got acceptance letters from other universities, too, but I'm not sure I should even bother with them. I might look at Thalridge, but that one's much farther away.”

“Hm, tough decision. But you'll make the right one for sure.” Sally playfully poked him in the ribs. “Now show me the hole-free jeans you have, loverboy.”

Tyra went to his dresser, and Sally proceeded to help him find the most respectable pair of jeans he owned. After that, the two friends combined forces to boot Feadri off the couch and watch an episode off of the DVDs Sally had brought over. After the show, Sally went back home, and Tyra went upstairs to start getting ready for his date. He fixed his hair until it was perfect, brushed his teeth, and checked his appearance in the mirror on the back of his room's door. Then he picked up his favorite skateboard, said a brief hello to his sire as he arrived home, and headed out for the evening with high hopes and confidence.

~*~

Meanwhile, Elain was getting ready, too, but in a far less painstaking manner. He just put on a freshly pressed suit in an unobtrusive dark gray color instead of his usual black, combed his hair, and finally tucked his cell phone and wallet in his pocket.

Conroy had been a bit worried when Elain told him that he intended to go out alone, but that also meant that Elain hadn't done this in too long a time. And if he was being honest, then he would admit that he was really looking forward to this date. It was the first one in ages, and Elain almost felt as if it was his very first.

Five minutes before eight, he was standing outside the Velvet Shadow, a few meters away from the entrance so that none of the waiting guests would notice him.

Mere seconds later, a slightly banged-up car came around the next corner and stopped on the other side of the road. A young man with blond hair got out, and Elain recognized Tyrallin. He swiftly crossed the street.

Tyra greeted Elain with a smile. “Evening,” he said as Elain approached, and he swiftly moved to the other side of the car to open the door for him. “Okay, it's not much of a golden chariot, but I promise it'll get us to the restaurant and back.”

“I trust you not to risk my life on our first date,” Elain replied dryly, hiding a smile. He got into the car and noticed the worn seats and scratched dashboard. But it wasn't so bad. Elain admitted that he was a bit spoiled, having his own limo and Conroy as his driver.

“You're right. Any life-risking events should be saved for the third or fourth date,” Tyra replied, and then he closed the door for Elain and went back to the driver's seat. He put the car into gear and pulled out into traffic, heading for the west end of town. “You look really nice. I mean, I think you looked nice in the black, too, but the gray is an even better color for you.”

Elain arched an elegant eyebrow at him, his old wariness of compliments returning. “Thank you. But I suppose you don't wear suits at all, do you?”

“Nah, not really,” Tyra replied. “I'm pretty sure I own one. At least, I think I do. It's probably tucked away somewhere in a plastic bag, wondering whether I'm ever going to let it see the light of day again.”

“Well, if your job allows you to wear casual clothing, all the better. So, where are we headed?” Elain asked. He did mean to ask Tyrallin about his occupation, but since Elain himself wasn't yet ready to talk about it, he didn't pursue this topic any further.

Tyra glanced briefly over at Elain before turning his eyes back to the road. “We're going to Nica's Mixer. Ever heard of it before?”

“No, not really. So you managed to surprise me.” Elain smiled briefly. “What kind of food do they serve there?”

“Actually, that's the fun part. They have just about everything, with dozens of ingredients set out on a buffet. You put your meal together and hand it over to the chefs at the other end of the buffet with a little token telling them how you want it prepared, and then you have a seat and wait for your dinner to be brought to you. It's a great way to experiment and try new things. And their flatbread is really delicious. You'll have to try some.”

That sounded interesting indeed. Elain was so used to tiny portions and endless menus that Tyrallin's idea seemed truly refreshing. “Do you go there often?”

“I've been there a few times, but it's been quite a while for me since the last time. I think we went for my dad's birthday last year. So it'll be a nice treat to go again. What're your favorite kinds of food?” Tyra asked.

“I like almost anything besides fast food. And I prefer low-fat food like chicken, vegetables, and the like. I make an exception for dessert, however.”

Elain had quite a sweet tooth, but he rarely indulged it. And he wasn't one to talk about it, either. If Tyrallin continued to be observant, he'd find out soon enough.

“Well, since you're not picky, you won't have any problem at Nica's Mixer, then,” Tyra said.

The two of them continued to chat about food and other inconsequential subjects for a while, and then they lapsed into a comfortable silence shortly before they arrived at the restaurant. When they finally arrived, Tyra parked the car and got out. He hurried around to open the car door for Elain, but Elain had already opened it, so he ended up just holding it for him and shutting it.

“Your evening repast awaits,” Tyra said with a slight bow and a gesture toward the restaurant, though he ruined it with a grin.

Elain tried to hide a grin, but he was failing more and more. Tyrallin's high spirits truly were again infectious.

The restaurant was a nice place, not overly fancy, but decorated in light colors with fresh flowers and candles on every table. Elain noticed immediately that he was overdressed for the occasion — nobody was wearing a suit. The guests were mostly young couples and small families, and some of them were busy milling about the buffet and picking their food.

Tyrallin walked past the people who were sitting on benches and waiting for available seats. He went to the hostess at the front podium. “Hi there. I have reservations for two for Alwick,” he said.

“Hi,” she replied with a cheerful smile, and she quickly checked her seating chart and reservation list. She took two menus off the table behind her. “Right this way, please,” she said, and she started leading them through the tables over to a row of high-stool, two-seat tables not far from where the chefs were gathered around in an area at the end of the buffet, cooking the meals out in the open where everyone could see.

“Please enjoy your meal,” the hostess said. “Your server will be around to help you shortly.” The hostess then headed back to the front of the restaurant, leaving them to their table.

Tyrallin pulled out one of the seats for Elain, and they both took their seats. “I hope this is okay,” he said. “I asked them to get us a seat near the cooking action if it was possible. Part of the fun here is getting a chance to watch the chefs at work.”

Elain nodded. “Indeed. It's nice to see a meal prepared for a change. This way one can be sure about its ingredients. I've tasted food in some so-called finer restaurants and was sure there were some things in there that didn't belong at all.” He took up one of the menus and leafed through it. “I guess it's more interesting to just pick out the food that looks tasty?”

Tyra didn't bother with his menu. “The menu's a bit different here.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “There are a couple of special items you have to order off the menu, but just about everything is made from the buffet. The menu is for choosing drinks and desserts mostly, but if you look, there are a bunch of little plastic recipe cards stuffed into those funny pockets. If you don't want to wing it at the buffet, just pick a recipe card and take it up with you and pick the ingredients it tells you.” He picked up one of two little wooden sticks that were lying on the table. They both had the same number on them. “This is our table number. Put this in your bowl of ingredients so they know to bring it here.” Tyra picked up a pen from the table and wrote his name on his stick.

“Very inventive,” Elain remarked, taking the other stick and writing his name on it. “But I suppose I'll just take a look around and choose whatever seems tasty.”

A moment later a young man with a notepad approached, smiling broadly at them. “Welcome to Nica's Mixer. What would you like to drink?”

“Just mineral water,” Elain answered.

“Lime soda for me,” Tyra said.

“Great, I'll get those right out for you. Now, you both know how the buffet works here, right?” Tyra murmured his agreement; he'd already done the explaining to Elain. “Well then, feel free to head up to the buffet and get started right away. If you need anything, my name's Michael.”

The waiter departed, and Tyra got up from his high stool. “Shall we?”

Elain nodded and got up, too. Together they inspected the buffet, trying to choose between the seemingly endless variety of vegetables, meat, and accompaniments.

Against his usual eating habit, Elain put this and that in his bowl, curiously trying some sorts of fish he'd ever eaten before. But it was such a different situation form his usual visits at classy restaurants for business meetings, and he really began to enjoy it.

Tyra was quick and selective about his ingredient choices. When they reached the end of the buffet, they faced a long counter where the chefs could reach out and take their bowls.

“Here,” Tyra said, pointing to a row of big, colorful square tokens. “You can use these tokens to tell the chefs how you want your ingredients prepared. Some of the tokens are also ways of asking for extra side items, like the flatbread, shrimp, and other things. Just check the label to see what a token means.” Tyra picked out two square tokens and stuck them in his bowl, along with the wooden stick with his name on it. He left the bowl on the counter. “And we can just have a seat and wait.”

Elain studied the tokens before he also chose two, among them the one for the much-acclaimed flatbread. After giving his bowl to the chefs, he followed Tyrallin back to their table.

“So, you go to a lot of fancy restaurants, huh? Is it business usually?” Tyra asked.

“Yes. I'm not one for going to restaurants for fun usually, but it seems I've always been in the wrong ones. It's really comfortable here,” Elain admitted and smiled. “And if the food is as tasty as it looks, I'm content.”

“Well, the food is always super fresh here,” Tyra said, “but the combination really does depend on you. That's the one catch with this place. If you put raisins and salmon together, you might not be too happy with the end result. My brother tried that once and had the chefs make it into a soup. The taste was, well, pretty nasty.”

“I can imagine that. So, you have a brother?”

Truth be told, Elain wasn't too fond of sharing private information so soon, so he usually avoided asking anything in this direction in the first place. But he admitted that he was curious. He was sure that Tyrallin's easygoing manner had a lot to do with a happy childhood and family.

“Yeah, I have a younger brother, Feadri,” Tyra replied. “He's a rat, and he always seems to have a bunch of fun figuring out how to push my buttons, but I love him. He's really the darling of the family, and meanwhile I just have to keep an eye on him and keep scaring off any sleazy potential suitors that come sniffing around. And if I can't scare them off, sire definitely will.” Tyra chuckled. He remembered when Blue Ridge High School had hosted a family picnic at the start of the school year as part of homecoming week. The persistent young sires who has been continuing to ogle Feadri had been quite intimidated when they'd seen Detrallin hanging around the picnic tables.

Just as Elain had thought. For a moment, he thought of his own brother, but he firmly pushed that memory away.

“That sounds like your sire is very concerned about your brother.”

Tyra laughed softly. “Feadri's very pretty, so sire's within his rights to be cautious. Sire actually sat me down one evening and described to me, at length, the kind of guys I'm supposed to keep away from Feadri. He wanted to be sure we're on the same wavelength about it since I get to spend more time with Feadri than he does. Dad just thinks we're being paranoid.” The server came then and put their drinks down in front of them, and Tyra took a sip of his soda. “What about you? What's your family like?”

Elain stiffened a bit, although he had expected that question. It was only natural.

“I don't know. I haven't spoken to them since I left home,” he finally said, also taking a sip from his mineral water.

Tyra was taken aback. The idea of not speaking to his family for years was a completely foreign idea for him. He couldn't imagine that his dad would let him go for even two weeks without making contact. “Really? None of them? You don't have any siblings?”

Elain suppressed a sigh. He had started this, and lying to Tyrallin was out of the question. “I also have a brother, three years older than I am. He married shortly before I left home, and I don't even know where he lives now.”

Tyrallin fiddled with his utensils. He badly wanted to ask more questions, but Elain didn't seem too pleased with this topic. “Feadri would tear out my hair if I stopped talking to him. We went on a family vacation once, a road trip, and just an hour after we left the house, Feadri and I started getting into a huge fight. Our parents nearly threw us out of the car. It ended with both of us swearing to never speak to each other again. That night, at the hotel, we stayed up for hours playing video games and talking.”

“My brother and I were never that close. We stuck together, if necessary, but when he went to be bonded and left... I'm sorry, it's not a nice story and hardly something I should bother you with.” Elain twisted his glass of water in his hands. It still hurt after all these years, but Elain was as much at fault as his brother, and he knew it.

“It's not a bother.” Tyra briefly considered making some facetious statement to lighten the atmosphere and make Elain comfortable again, but this just didn't seem like the time for that. “I'd like to know, if you're willing to tell me, but I understand if you're not comfortable with that. You can always save the story for another time.”

Elain managed a smile at this beautifully honest offer. Most people he knew would have tried to change the subject or prodded further with a compassionate manner, but Tyrallin was simply stating that they'd meet again for sure, and that Elain would confide in him sometime. Brazen, as always, but in a charming way.

“No, maybe I should talk about it, so you'll know the ugly truth about me up front,” Elain replied, taking another sip of his water. “Although there isn't that much to tell. My family lived in some backwater place in Nandar, and my sire left when I was five years old. My father didn't have the healthiest of constitutions, so we needed the help of some relatives. They had no children and seemed glad to take care of my brother Nherin and I, but as we grew up, it turned out that they just hoped to marry us off to some of their acquaintances. Although Nherin was the older one, I always tried to look out for him. Our father was too weak to go against our relatives. He finally died shortly after my twentieth birthday. After his funeral, Nherin agreed to be bonded to one of the rich older sires our 'well-meaning' relatives had picked out. He wanted to live without worries, he told me. The day after his bonding ceremony, I packed my things and took off.”

Tyra didn't reply immediately. He fiddled with his napkin for a moment, and then he looked Elain in the eyes and said, “I'm glad you left. I don't like thinking of you being bonded to someone you don't care for.”

“No, me neither. It's just... maybe I should have tried harder to convince Nherin not to go along with our relatives' plans. But he was always the quieter, more demure one, a trait that's commonly most appreciated in lifebearers. I suppose I can't accuse him of wanting to have a wealthy bondmate and being content to raise children and look pretty.” Elain's words sounded bitter.

At that moment, their waiter arrived and put their plates in front of them. Tyra took his napkin and put it in his lap. However, before he took his first bite, he picked up the thread of the conversation again. “If it's made him happy, then I suppose no, you really can't blame him. I'm not much of one for the demure, quiet types, but one of my cousins married a lifebearer a lot like what you describe, and they're pretty happy together.” Tyra took a small bite of his food and washed it down with a sip of soda. “Do you know whether Nherin has had any children? Maybe you're an uncle.”

“I don't now. As I said, I have neither seen him nor heard from him since. I may as well be a great-uncle already.” Elain took up his fork and carefully tasted his food, but found it very much to his liking. “This is really good,” he said, changing the subject.

Tyra took another bigger bite of his own meal. “Mm, mine's good, too, but I could have added even more almonds. I'll have to try something different on the second round and see if I can get that one right on the first attempt.”

The heaviness of their conversation gone, they enjoyed their food, only commenting on some ingredients. Tyrallin and Elain went two more times to try other food combinations, albeit with much smaller portions on Elain's part. Tyrallin, he noted, was tucking in like a teenager.

They were just studying the menu for dessert when Elain noticed a couple coming in. The man was wearing an ill-fitted suit and was balding, and the woman's dress was two sizes too small for her full figure. Her hair was dyed in a bright red, and her face had clearly been lifted.

“Damn it,” Elain muttered, recognizing them immediately. As the couple was talking to the hostess, he quickly muttered an apology and left for the restrooms.

Tyra blinked a few times in confusion after his dining companion left. He seemed to have run off for the restroom quite urgently. Perhaps something hadn't sat well in Elain's stomach? Tyra hoped not; he really didn't want to have to deal with the stigma of having made Elain sick on their first date.

Tyra waited quite a while, but when Elain didn't show up again, he started to worry. He finally got up and went to the restrooms to look after his companion.

To his relief, he found Elain leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He wasn't looking ill, but definitely disgruntled.

“Hey there, what's the matter?” Tyra asked with concern. “Are you okay? I didn't piss you off with something I said, did I?” He wanted to reach out and touch the other lashran's shoulders, his hand, something, just to make contact and establish a connection, but Elain was standing so stiffly that Tyra kept his hands to himself.

“No, it's not you,” Elain answered to Tyrallin's relief. “Did you notice the human couple just coming in? I know them from the Velvet Shadow, and if they see me, the quiet evening will be ruined. I wanted to avoid that.”

“No, I didn't notice them, but I believe you,” Tyra admitted. He looked at Elain and pondered the problem for a few moments. He looked Elain over with a critical eye. “We just need to make sure that they don't see you, right? Here, take off your jacket.”

“Do you think taking off my jacket will make me invisible? Or do you intend to stuff me in your pocket?” Elain was clearly skeptical.

Tyra let out a quick bark of laughter. “No, I’m not putting you in my pocket. I don’t think you’d fit. We’re just going to make you look less like your usual self. People know you to look a certain way, don’t they? So we change your look, and you go back out there incognito.” When Elain narrowed his eyes, Tyra held up his hands defensively. “Let’s just give it a shot. It might work. Sometimes even people I know well don’t recognize me when I leave my hair down. Come on, we have to get back out there before the waiter starts worrying that we skipped out on the check.”

“Well, it may be worth a try. But we'd better pay the bill immediately and find some dessert elsewhere. I don't want to push my luck, even if they won't notice me,” Elain answered.

Hesitantly he shrugged off his jacket and vest, feeling a bit naked without his usual layers. It cost him quite an effort to also open the first two buttons of his shirt collar. Now he really felt exposed.

Tyra tried his best not to ogle Elain, but he couldn’t help letting his eyes rove across the other lashran’s shoulders and chest, catching on that little spot where to buttons now lay open. He gave himself a mental shake to get focused again.

“We can do even better than that. Here, let me . . .” Tyra reached out slowly, bringing his hands up to Elain’s face. Elain seemed startled and tried to pull back at first. “You can do without your glasses for just a short while, can’t you?” Tyra asked. Without waiting for a reply, he reached forward again and gently took hold of the wire frames and oh-so-carefully lifted them off Elain’s face. He folded the frames with a soft snick-snick and handed them to Elain. Then he slowly tucked Elain’s bright hair behind his ears. Tyra smiled warmly. “There, that makes a big difference, don’t you think?” He stepped back from Elain so that he could take a look in the bathroom mirrors.

Elain was so used to his normal appearance that it was indeed quite a surprise. With the glasses gone, his ears clearly visible, and without the jacket that made his shoulders look broader, nobody would mistake Elain for a sire. The cool, tough club owner was completely gone, leaving a very pretty lifebearer.

Elain furrowed his brows. If he ever needed a reminder about why he dressed the way he did, here it was.

“A big difference indeed. Let's hope it works,” he said. He turned to face Tyrallin again and caught the young sire staring.

Tyra couldn’t seem to keep his eyes from roving eagerly over Elain’s face and figure. The way he was dressed now, he looked so much different, so much younger and more approachable. His eyes were softer and more appealing without the barrier of glass in front of them, his shoulders and chest were defined but still quite slender, and his ears . . . Tyra wanted to nip at the tips and outer rims and find out what they tasted like.

“Am I still cut off from kissing you because of that last one I stole?” Tyra asked with a hint of pleading in his voice.

That statement merited a set of raised eyebrows. “Let's get out of here before I decide to comment on that,” Elain declared and turned to leave the restroom.

Back in the main room of the restaurant, he tried not to glance at the infamous couple that was now sitting at a table. The man was complaining about something to the waiter, so he and his wife weren't looking in Elain's direction. Nevertheless, he felt a lot of eyes on him as he crossed the room to their table.

Before they reached their table, Tyra noticed their waiter coming toward them. Tyra quickly got his attention. “Can I get our check, please?”

“Are you sure I can’t interest you in a dessert tonight, folks?” the waiter asked with a big smile.

“Not tonight,” said Tyra. Elain had taken his seat again, and Tyra noticed that the lifebearer seemed to be angling one way to avoid having his face showing to a certain portion of the room.

“I’ll bring your check right out, then,” said the waiter, and he hurried off.

Tyra slid into his seat. “Hey, so far so good. Just relax, act casual. We’ll be out of here in a couple minutes, and then we’ll be in the clear.” Tyra took another swallow of his drink. “These people must be real pieces of work to have you so worried.”

“Yes, they are.” Elain took his glass of water and emptied it with one gulp. “They've been trying to get a membership at the club for years, and since a few weeks ago they're even banned from the first floor. It's always the same: The woman goes off flirting with another man or sire, and then her husband shows up, feigns outrage, and tries to provoke a brawl. They just do it for fun.”

“Forests, I hope they don’t have a litter. Some people need to keep their genes to themselves,” Tyra said. Then he tilted his head thoughtfully. “You know, I’ve been trying to figure this out, and it’s bugging me because I can’t quite figure it out. You work at the Velvet Shadow, don’t you?”

However, at that moment, the waiter arrived with their check. Before he could depart, Tyra said, “Hold on just a second.” He checked the total and pulled some cash from his wallet and put it in the billfold and handed it over to the waiter. “Thanks, no change please.”

“Have a good night!” replied the waiter, and he swiftly departed.

Tyra got up and stood in front of Elain, blocking the view of him from the angle he perceived to be the one Elain was trying to avoid. Tyra picked up Elain’s suit jacket from the back of his chair and held it in one arm. With the other arm, he held out the crook of his elbow to the lifebearer. “Shall we? If I stay to the correct side of you, you’ll hardly be visible.”

That argument was sound, so Elain got up from his chair and took Tyrallin's arm. They crossed the room in an unhurried manner, passed the still-complaining couple, and headed for the door.

Outside, Elain allowed himself the luxury of taking a deep, relieved breath. “It really worked. Seems your good ideas aren't limited to the choice of restaurants.”

Tyra didn't relinquish Elain's arm but instead proceeded to escort him to the car. “Damn, this means I've used up my maximum of two good ideas for the year, doesn't it?” He gave Elain a wry grin as he opened the car door for him.

“Let's hope not.” Elain got into the car, immediately closing the buttons on his shirt again. When Tyra took place on the driver's seat, Elain had also pulled his hair over his ears like usual and put his glasses back on.

“Well, were should we go for dessert? I'm sure you have another good idea, Tyrallin,” Elain said with a smile.

Tyra started the car and began heading for the dessert destination he had in mind. It was located only a half a mile down the street from Nica's Mixer. “Really? You're sure about that? Well, okay, maybe I have one good idea left for the year. You'll see.”

Elain just smiled. Tyrallin's propositions for the evening had so far been impeccable, and he trusted the young sire to find a grand finale for their date.

They drove for a few minutes through the busy evening traffic, and finally Tyrallin parked his car at a little cafe in a strip of several shops.

Tyra got out and opened Elain’s car door again and made a grand gesture toward the entrance. “The last stop on our tour tonight is Ground Floor and Patty’s Pastries. They used to be two separate stores standing side by side, a coffee shop and a patisserie, but the owners decided to merge it a few years ago. I think I see a musician in there, too, so there’s live music on the coffee shop side tonight. I didn’t check ahead of time, so I’m not making any guarantees about the music quality.”

They entered through one of the two doors that stood right next to each other. The café was divided very deliberately in two, with a clear line down the middle. To the left was the coffee shop side, decorated all in dark wooden tables and seats, a few overstuffed chairs, and a golden brown carpet. A guitarist sat on a stool in a corner, singing a slow song into a standing mic. On the right side of the store, the floor was tiled in blue and white squares, and the lights and colors were all brighter. The seats and stools were all white metal with an old-fashioned style. Several glass displays supported the counter on the right side, and they curled around the right wall to extend farther.

The café was busy but not overly crowded. Most people were gathered on the coffee shop side to be closer to the music.

Tyra smiled at Elain. “No matter what you order here, it’s going to be good.”

“I don't doubt it. And the music's quite nice,” Elain answered, looking around. He liked the contrast between the two shop parts, and the little pastries and cakes the guests were enjoying looked very tasty.

Tyra lead the way toward the glass cases filled with pastries. “I’m going to get the small fruit medley tart and a chocolate éclair. If you decide you need to steal a bite off my plate, I promise to turn a blind eye.” Tyra looked over the display, eyeing the sweets eagerly. The rows of finely decorated cakes and chocolates and flakey pastries proved to be a feast of visual pleasure for the eyes. “Do you have any idea what you want?”

“Something small, since those little things look quite filling,” Elain decided, glancing at Tyrallin. The young sire had the look of a kid in front of a candy store. It was utterly adorable. “I think I'll try a cream puff with white chocolate for variety.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Tyra purchased the sweets and also got them each a bottle of water, and they claimed a table on the coffee shop side of the café. He used the provided utensils to divide his éclair and tart into quarters, and he looked up just in time to see Elain taking the first bite of his cream puff.

“So? How is it?” Tyra asked.

“Delicious. Would you like to try it?” And before Elain could stop himself, he offered a piece of his dessert to Tyrallin — in exactly the same manner he fed Velvet a morsel when she meowed at him.

Tyra hadn’t been expecting that, but he seized the opportunity without hesitation. He leaned forward and delicately took the bite of pastry with his mouth. He deliberately didn’t make any contact with Elain’s fingers until he had taken the morsel, and then he gave the lifebearer’s fingertips a quick peck with his lips.

He leaned back again in his chair and savored his treat before he spoke. “You’re right. That is delicious.”

Elain's fingertips tingled a bit with the echo of Tyrallin's touch, and he quickly withdrew. His instincts and feelings were more and more taking control, shutting off his reason. It was dangerous, he told himself, dangerous to be so careless. He barely knew this young sire, and there he was, on their first date, feeling like they had known each other for ages. Tyrallin's presence was warm and comforting, and even Elain's reserve when it came to casual touching was crumbling by the minute.

And worst of all, he liked Tyrallin's honest smile. He liked it very much.

Elain took a bite off his cream puff and tried not to be angry with himself. Maybe he was just sexually frustrated, falling to the charm of the first sire in ages who didn't seem be a self-centered bastard.

Or was it more? Elain wasn't ready to decide anything yet. The evening as far too nice to brood over this.

The two of them proceeded to enjoy their desserts, albeit without any more feeding. They chatted comfortably, and sometimes they simply sat together and listened to the peaceful music of the man singing and strumming his guitar. Before they knew it, the café employees declared that it was eleven o'clock and the place was closing. Tyra and Elain proceeded back to the car.

“I suppose that's it for the night,” Tyra said as they walked out into the cold night air. “I'm afraid I don't know where to take you next, though. Back to your place or...?” he asked, not quite sure of himself.

“I think we should honor the old saying that one should leave off with an appetite. And you can drop my off at the Velvet Shadow again. I'm afraid I'm not the type who takes someone to his apartment after the first date,” Elain said dryly, but his smile took the edge off his words.

“Of course! That is, I didn't mean, uh, right. Velvet Shadow!” Tyra darted ahead to unlock Elain's door and open it for him. “That's right; you must have left your car back there anyway.” Elain got into the car, and Tyra closed the door behind him and then climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking lot. He started heading downtown.

Tyra darted a quick sidelong glance at his companion as he drove. “I really hope you're going to say we can do this again some time. You know, there are a whole lot more neat places I could take you to, and I can do my best to keep it as casual as you want it,” he offered.

Elain nodded. “Yes, that would be nice. But I'd feel bad if you always take me out. Let me invite you next time. By the way, are you still interested in mixing drinks, or was it just an excuse?”

Tyra grinned widely. “Actually, both. I'm always interested in picking up new, useful skills like that, and I know I'll be able to use it in the future. At the same time, it sure was a handy way to convince you to see me again.”

“That's an honest answer, and I appreciate that. Maybe I'll teach you ‘sex on the beach’ next time or a ‘screaming orgasm,’” Elain answered, smirking. A little payback was in order.

Tyra felt his eyes widen. “A s-screaming orgasm? They really named a drink that?” Tyra glanced over at Elain, saw his refined features illuminated in the by street lamps and the red and green glow of street lights, noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes. He saw, and he wanted, but no matter how much he wanted, he knew he had to keep his cool with Elain or he'd lose any chance he had. The situation was maddening for the young sire. The challenge was exhilarating.

He knew he'd be taking a cold shower when he got home.

Thankfully, Elain kept quiet for the rest of the drive, but Tyra felt the lifebearer's gaze on him more than once. Finally they reached the Velvet Shadow, and Tyra parked his car on the opposite side of the road. As usual, the waiting people in front of the entrance had formed a long line.

Tyra opened the door for Elain again and tried to think of a good way to say goodbye. Just as he opened his mouth, his companion for the evening had grabbed him by the back of his neck, pulled him down, and kissed him. It was much less chaste than the kiss Tyra had stolen, but equally unhurried and gentle.

Tyra made a soft sound of surprise and delight, and he reached up to brush his thumb along Elain's jaw. He wanted to put his free hand around Elain's waist and pull him tight, but he didn't quite dare, so he settled for using it to tilt Elain's face up just a little bit more, and when Elain's lips parted just enough, Tyra slid his tongue out to take the briefest of tastes, the lightest of sips.

When the kiss ended, it was by mutual and silent agreement. Tyra caressed Elain's jaw one more time and then gave him a happy smile. “Goodnight,” he said softly.

“Goodnight, Tyrallin. Thanks of the beautiful evening,” Elain said, also smiling. In the warm red gleam of the club's lights, his cheeks seemed to glow with a slight blush, Tyra noticed.

Then Elain turned around and crossed the street, heading towards the Velvet Shadow. Despite not wearing his vest or jacket, he felt incredibly hot, like he had a fever. That tiny little kiss, meant to be a thankful gesture, had turned out to be proof that he was indeed incredibly depraved of physical contact — not to mention that Tyrallin was a very good kisser. But it had awoken a need Elain had tried very hard to forget over the years.

Tyra remained by his car, watching Elain's graceful walk across the street. He started wondering how soon would be acceptable for him to send Elain an email and ask when they could have their second date.

Tyra watched Elain to make sure he made it safely into the club. However, Elain didn't go to the front of the line and show off a membership ID as Tyra had expected. Instead, Elain went to a separate, smaller door, set far apart from the line and the main entrance. Elain swiped a card through a metal device and then slipped inside.

If Elain didn't work at the Velvet Shadow, Tyra would eat his skateboard.

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

“...would be a total amount of twenty thousand for renovating party rooms three, four, and five. Aside from that... sir, are you listening?” Conroy asked.

Elain looked up at his secretary. “I'm sorry, Conroy. Could you just leave the list here? I'll get to it later.”

“Of course.” The secretary looked a bit confused since he wasn't used to his boss not paying attention to his work. “And if I may ask, is everything alright? You look a bit... off.”

“No I'm fine. But I'll take an early lunch break,” Elain decided and stood up from his office desk. “Please go back to work. We'll discuss his later.”

Conroy nodded and left, and Elain turned around to look out of the huge window behind his desk. Since the date with Tyrallin two days ago, he really wasn't able to concentrate properly, and it bothered him. It had been a nice date and a nice kiss, nothing more, he told himself, but his thoughts kept wandering. At this point, he either had to forget the young sire, or he had to keep absolute control of the development of their... relationship. And since forgetting was out of the question, Elain had to ensure that he wasn't overwhelmed again.

With his mind set, Elain turned back to his desk, sat down, and opened the email program of his computer. He swiftly typed a message and sent it off.

After this, Elain felt like a heavy weight was lifted off him. He got up again to grab some lunch together with Marithia, which he hadn't done in a while.

Elain didn't bother to call her office to get in touch with her. It was unlikely that she'd be there at this time of day. Instead, he simply went down to the main disco floor of the first level.

He found her easily enough. She was bent over a row of taps, wielding a wrench and cursing up a storm.

“Damn you, you piece of shit!”

“Language, Marithia,” Elain gently chided her. “Why don't you call the maintenance staff to help you if it's stuck?”

Marithia looked up, startled to find Elain suddenly in front of her on the other side of the bar. She put down her wrench and wiped a strand of hair from her eyes. “Oh, well, I thought it would be an easy fix, so I tried to do it myself. It wasn't an easy fix, but I didn't want to give up. I think I'll go ahead and put in that call to maintenance, 'cause this thing just isn't budging. But before that, what can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to ask if you'd like to join me for lunch?” Elain asked.

Marithia just looked at him in confusion for a few moments, wondering whether she'd heard him correctly. “Lunch? That's be nice. I can't remember the last time we sat down for lunch together. What brought this on all of a sudden?”

“Nothing special, besides that it's been too long,” Elain answered nonchalantly. “And I wanted to hear some ideas for the new decoration of the party rooms from you.”

Marithia eyed Elain suspiciously for another long moment before nodding. “Okay, I'm up for it. Are we headed out right now? Mind if I call the boys in maintenance first?”

“Go right ahead.”

Elain waited until Marithia had grabbed the phone and called the maintenance division to come down and fix her bar. Then they left the Velvet Shadow for a nice little place two streets away. It was very popular because of its traditional Avras cuisine with lots of pasta, fresh vegetables, and salads, but when Elain showed up, he never had to wait for a table.

The smiling proprietor, a well-rounded, friendly human in his fifties with a stainless white apron, didn't need any special instruction from Elain and immediately brought him mineral water and a salad.

Marithia put her napkin in her lap and then put her elbows on the table and leaned forward over her folded hands. “Okay, now that we're out of the building and clear of all prying ears, why did you really want to have lunch?”

Elain raised an eyebrow at her. “What do you mean? Is it so strange that I want to have lunch with you for a change?”

“Change? Change is the operative word here,” Marithia replied. “In order to get you to have lunch with me, I usually have to find a crowbar so that I can first pry you away from your desk and paperwork.”

“Well, not today.” Elain took a sip from his glass as he silently cursed Marithia's powers of observation. Sooner or later she would know what was wrong with him, so he decided it would be better to tell her right away. “But I'm surprised you didn't ask me yet about the young sire who came to the club four days ago.”

Marithia leaned back in her chair with a gloating smile. “Knew there was something big. So did Mr. Tall Blonde and Handsome behave himself that night, or did you have to get him kicked out of the club?”

“No, he behaved. In fact, we went out to dinner the next evening. And don't look so smug!” Elain muttered, a bit irritated, although he had expected that reaction from the female lashran.

“Not look smug?! You have to be kidding me. I feel like I'm a cat and somebody just put a bowl of cream in front of me. You went out on a date? How long has it been since that happened? Wait, no don't answer that. The more important question is, did you have a good time?”

Elain let her stew for a few moments before he answered, “Yes, I did. And I'm going to see him again. Please try not to faint, Marithia.”

“I think the world just tilted on its axis,” Marithia said. A server brought a small basket of breads and a small dish of butter to their table. Marithia helped herself to a slice. “Well, I don't know quite how all this is happening, but thank the Forests. It's about time. I say get out and enjoy yourself some more.”

Elain took a piece of bread and spread a thin layer of butter over it. “You sound like I've been quite desperate.”

“You haven't been desperate, but I have! I've been waiting and waiting for something to pull you out of that building, something to give you a reason to check out the world outside of the Velvet Shadow. Going on dates is good. Do it more.” Marithia took a big bite out of her slice of bread.

Now Elain couldn't help but laugh. “I really appreciate your concern,” he said. “But do me a favor and don't scare Tyrallin away with your curiosity the next time he comes to see me again.”

Marithia raised an eyebrow. “As if I'd risk scaring him away.”

The waiter came then and took their lunch orders. After he departed, Marithia turned her sly eyes back to Elain. “So, tell me more about this sire. What's he like? What did you two end up doing on this date?”

Since it was useless to evade Marithia's eager questions, Elain told her of the two evenings he had spend in Tyrallin's company. He left out the kisses, however — and the strange, conflicting feelings of comfort and excitement.

“I also send him an email asking him if he would like to come to the club again,” Elain finished. “But I still don't know if it's a good idea to continue like this.”

“And why would it be a bad idea?” Marithia asked. “Wait, don't answer that. You'll come up with a whole plethora of reasons why you should stop just because something could go wrong, and I don't particularly want to hear about it.”

“I know you don't, so I won't start. But I do like to hear your honest opinion, Marithia.” Elain looked at her with a serious expression. “I know what you've been telling me for years now, but the right person just never showed up. And I'm done with head-over-heels flings with sires who don't give a damn about anyone besides themselves.”

“So? What exactly am I giving you an opinion about?” Marithia asked. “If you want my opinion about that particular sire, I don't know what to tell you. I barely spoke to him. All I know is that he was really eager to see you again. If he'd had a tail, he would have been wagging it when he caught sight of you.”

Elain smiled. “Yes, he has some puppy-like qualities. Problem is, everything I've seen so far is too good to be true. Tyrallin's nice and thoughtful, and he's been honest to a point where it's almost naive. I can't really describe it, but I guess I'm too used to corrupted characters to believe that someone can be this... innocent.”

“Hmm, let's think about this for a minute. You work at a club that caters to and entertains rich and powerful people. You make arrangements for and organize concerts for wildly popular musicians. Now, why do you think it is that you so rarely meet innocent people?” Marithia asked with a teasing glimmer in her eyes.

“Because in my world they simply don't exist?” Elain refilled his glass. “I guess I can never be sure if I don't dare to take the next step, right?”

“You know, I don't even care what direction you go in as long as you take a step somehow,” Marithia said.

“I guess so. Thanks, Marithia,” Elain answered with a slight smile.

A minute later the proprietor brought their meals, and they enjoyed their lunch in amiable silence. After they were finished and were about to head back to the club, Elain took up his previous question and asked Marithia about her opinion for the decorations.

They discussed various possibilities as they went back to the Velvet Shadow, but before Elain took the lift upstairs to his office, he asked, “Marithia, you'll keep this to yourself, won’t you?” It was clear that he meant their talk about Tyrallin.

“Of course. This is our business and no one else's.” Elain opened his mouth to reply, but Marithia just held up a finger. “And before you protest, your business is my business even if you don't like it one bit.”

“I've given up arguing about that with you a long time ago. Thanks, Marithia.” With a last, tender smile for his best friend and only confidante, Elain vanished into the elevator.

~*~

Later on that same afternoon, Tyra sat on the cold cement of the bottom step leading up to the Dalling University student library. From there, he had an excellent view of the large courtyard of the university's campus. In the center of the courtyard stood an elegant white fountain, which was currently quiet and still. The weather was still too chilly to start the fountain just yet, but Tyra guessed it would be running in the next couple of weeks. A few students, mostly human but a few lashran as well, passed Tyra by as they went into or left from the library.

Tyra had just spent the last four hours on a tour of the campus. He had started out by talking to the dean, who had given him several impressive but uninspiring facts and figures about the prestigious university. Tyra listened politely and made the appropriate responses, and then the dean had lead him to the head of the biology department. From that professor, he heard more facts and details, and then the man lead him to the head of the mathematics department, who had lead him to the head of the history department, and so on.

It seemed that they had as little idea what to do with Tyra as he did.

Just as he started to contemplate getting up and going home, someone at the top of the stairs behind him let out a startled exclamation, and something clattered to the ground. Tyra turned to find that a pair of long, fat brown tubes were rolling down the stairs in his direction. A male student who had his arms filled with more of the brown tubes as well as loose rolled-up papers was running down after the escaped tubes.

Tyra caught the tubes and stood up, offering them to the student, who turned out to be a sire with very pale orange hair and a rather woebegone expression.

“Here you go,” Tyra said, and he tried to give the tubes back, but the other sire didn't seem able to take them. He could barely hold on to the items he was carrying.

“Sorry about that, friend,” said the sire. “Oh great, there's just no way I can handle it. Is there any chance you could help me out? Do you have time? I need to get these to my next class, and I'm going to be late if I don't hurry. Hey, if you help, I'll buy you a soda or coffee at the cafeteria later as thanks.”

He must have mistaken me for a university student, Tyra thought. He decided to give the sire a hand. “No problem. Just lead the way.”

“Thanks, you're a lifesaver,” the other sire said, walking down the way to the building flanking the campus on the left. “I'm Rhaval Walker, by the way, second year architecture department.”

“Tyrallin Alwick,” he replied. “And I'm year nothing right now. I'm just checking out the campus. Hey, I can take a few more of those for you, if you'd like.”

“Wow, thanks!” Rhaval gave Tyra two more tubes, so he could finally see properly where he was going. “So you wanted to see what Dalling is like? I can tell you, it's really great to study here. The professors really know their business, and most of them are funny and nice, too, not just a bunch of old, boring goats.”

Tyra barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Just what he needed: another sales pitch. “Anything’s gotta be better than my high school teachers,” Tyra quipped as he followed Rhaval along the walkway leading to another area of the campus.

They entered a building, went up a stairway, and walked down a hallway to a lecture room. A few students were still standing outside, chatting, so Rhaval heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank the Forests Professor Hobbs isn't here yet. He's very strict on punctuality, and he’s known for chucking students out of his class for being too late. Come on, let's put the blueprints and layouts over here.” He went inside the large room and carefully put the tubes on a side table underneath a hanging white canvas obviously used for projections.

Tyra put down the items he was carrying and took a look around the large room. Plenty of natural light streamed in through the large windows, and the room was filled with large, adjustable draft tables, some of which were slanting upright. At each table was a cushioned rolling chair. A teacher’s desk stood off to one side in a corner at the front of the room, but it appeared barren and pristine. Behind the hanging canvas was a whiteboard. At the back of the room, two rows of computers faced the opposite wall, where there was another white board and a podium for a professor to stand at.

Before Tyra could make his excuses and depart, the university students who had been in the hallway started hurrying into the room. Behind them came a short, older man with a fierce frown, a bald pate, and fluffy gray tufts of hair above his ears. His sharp eyes went straight to the tubes on the side table.

“Thank you, Mr. Walker. I see you’ve brought the printouts I requested,” said the man, presumably Professor Hobbs. “Don’t any of you sit down, yet! Come to the front of the class and pick up a blueprint. Doesn’t matter which one; just pick one up.” The students muttered softly about this turn of events, but they came forward and started taking tubes and papers.

The professor turned to Tyra and Rhaval then and looked them over with slightly narrowed eyes. “And who is this, Mr. Walker?”

Rhaval hastily gave an introduction. “Oh, this is Tyrallin Alwick. He's still in high school and wanted to take a look around the campus. He was helping me carrying the prints.”

Professor Hobbs nodded. “Well, Mr. Alwick, what are you planning on studying?”

Isn’t that the question of the hour? Tyra thought. “I haven’t decided yet. I just got done taking a general tour, talking with some department heads,” he replied with a wry grin. “Well, I should get going. I don’t want to hold up your class, sir.” Tyra started to turn toward the door.

“Not. So. Fast.” The professor said the words with slow and careful deliberation, making Tyra freeze in place. The nearby students who heard the professor’s words turned to look at what was going on with interest.

Rhaval smiled and gave a little groan as he looked at Tyra. “Oh, man, sorry. I didn’t mean to get you into this. You’re done for now.” Rhaval beat a hasty retreat; he nabbed a blueprint tube and headed for a draft table.

Professor Hobbs was still looking at Tyra with an inquiring, almost imposing expression. “Well, since you're here, you can join us for a bit. Attending one of our classes is the best way to get to know our university. Our topic today is 3D reconstruction of famous historical buildings of Avras. I don't suppose you know how to use a design program?”

Startled, Tyra shook his head. “No, sorry, I’m afraid I don’t. I don’t see how I could possibly join the class.”

Professor Hobbs simply stared at him for a long, unblinking moment. The professor then turned to one of the students. “Mr. Jeffries, did you know how to use a CAD program when you first started?”

“No, sir,” the student replied.

The professor turned to another student. “Ms. Dunleavy, did you know how to use CAD?”

“Nope!” the young woman replied.

“Mr. Kinney, Ms. Peach, Mr. Jolly?” he asked. He received a round of no’s.

Professor Hobbs turned to Tyra then. “As you can see, my students used to be architecturally empty, unstructured vessels of knowledge as well.” The students set up a brief chorus of objections to his statement, and the professor’s frowning mouth twitched upward briefly. “So?” And the professor simply crossed his arms over his barrel chest and waited.

The hairs on the back of Tyrallin’s head stood up. The professor’s attitude was absolutely maddening. “Fine. Count me in.” Tyra picked up one of the few remaining tubes from the side table.

Professor Hobbs turned to his students. “Well, you heard me. Get to the computers! Start rendering. I’ll be around to answer questions. You won’t get this done today, so this is also your homework for Thursday.”

As the students hurried to get to their favorite computers, the professor guided Tyra to a computer in the back row and directed him to load the computer-aided design program. “Now, the rest of this lot needs to do detailed renderings that are designed to scale. You don’t need to worry about that. Just play around with the program and do what you can using your blueprint as a starting point, an idea. It doesn’t have to be exact.”

Tyra had his eyes focused on the screen. The software interface reminded him just a bit of photo-manipulation software, but with vastly more tools and options. “I’ll see what I can do, sir.”

“Good. And who knows, maybe you'll even have some fun with it.” Professor Hobbs' face remained stern, but Tyra caught the humorous glint in the man's eye before he walked away to answer a student's question.

Rhaval, who was sitting at the computer next to Tyra, leaned over to him. “It's not that difficult once you get the hang of it. When I was in my first year and just starting, I managed to build a house with this program that couldn't exist in the real world. It was an accident, of course, but the professor just raised an eyebrow and said that even he didn't know that was possible. But if I ever managed to build such a house for real, he'd be the one to buy it.”

Tyra wasn't quite sure whether he was supposed to be impressed or amused. “That must have been something,” he said, and Rhaval gave a pleased laugh and turned to his drafting.

Tyra spent the next hour and a half rapidly learning how to use the unfamiliar software. The blueprint he had picked up was the layout of the first floor of the Hersh Library, which was over two hundred years old. Tyra popped in and out of the software's help section and began to cobble together a 3D design of the floor plan. Some elements he wasn't quite certain how to recreate, but for those he attempted to create alternative solutions.

His work was interrupted occasionally whenever the professor stopped the class to discuss a particularly good question that a student had asked.

The time flew by. Eventually, Tyra looked up to find that many of the students had left, and when he checked the clock, he realized that the class had ended ten minutes ago. Some students, including Rhaval, were simply continuing to work in order to get the assignment done now rather than return to it later.

The professor seemed to belatedly remember that Tyra was there, and he came over.

“Well, let me take a look at your work, Mr. Alwick,” Professor Hobbs demanded. He looked over Tyra's shoulder, scanned the monitor with a critical eye, and then requested to see the whole model rotating so he could look at it from all angles.

“Not bad for a first try,” the professor finally said. “You did some interesting improvising there. Not bad at all.”

Tyra stifled a sigh. He'd heard the same “not bad” comment from his high school teachers repeatedly in the past several years. It was the phrase they used when he'd clearly done something that should have been beyond his grasp, and they were forced to reluctantly acknowledge him yet again.

He rose from his chair and gave his watch a quick glance. “Thank you for letting me sit in on the class, Dr. Hobbs. It's getting late, though, and I was supposed to head home over an hour ago.”

“Of course, Mr. Alwick. But I think you didn't tell me the truth when you said you didn't know how to use that program at all. Did you ever work with something similar? Or did your school offer an internship at an architect's office?” Professor Hobbs asked.

Tyra shook his head slowly. “No, no internship, no software experience. The only thing I’ve worked with that even looks like it is some advanced photo-manipulation software, but your ProCAD program wasn’t really anything like that under the surface.”

“Interesting.” Professor Hobbs' sharp eyes never left Tyra as he continued. “Can you spare a few more minutes before you go?”

Reluctantly, Tyra nodded. “I suppose so.”

The professor crossed his arms and leaned against the computer table. “Let me tell you just a little bit about architecture, Mr. Alwick. People who look at this field from the outside might thing it’s dry and dusty work, but actually it's all about imagination — and then being able to put all those fancies into solid numbers. It's also about taking some abstracts on a piece of paper and making them real. That's what I'm trying to teach my students here, but it isn’t enough for them to just listen to me. Now, looking at what you’ve done here today,” the professor gestured to the computer screen, where Tyra’s work still showed on the screen, “I’m inclined to think you do whatever you set out to do, even if you don’t know how at first. Am I right?”

Tyra had been looking at the computer screen, but he turned his gaze back to Dr. Hobbs and looked more closely at the man now. However, the professor’s facial features were inscrutable. “Generally, that’s pretty much how it goes.”

Dr. Hobbs gave him a small smile. “That’s a wonderful skill to have, especially in architecture. As an architect, solutions don’t always come readily, and sometimes you have to invent them yourself. You’d need endurance and patience and a drive for absolute perfection. Studying architecture is only for the really tough guys and girls. Right, Mr. Walker?”

Rhaval, who had been listening, snapped to attention. “Of course, sir.”

Tyra suddenly realized that he’d started hanging on Dr. Hobbs’s words and had inclined his head forward to pay close attention, but then he straightened back up and cocked his head to the side. “So you’re saying I should be an architect, simple as that? I just happened to stumble in here.”

Professor Hobbs' bushy eyebrows furrowed a bit, and he made a great show of harrumphing, but the challenging twinkle in his eyes was still there. “Nobody 'stumbles' into my class, Mr. Alwick. And yes, you should be an architect. So see to it that you decide to attend this university and that you join this department. I have some interesting work waiting for you.” The professor straightened up from his leaning position and pulled a business card out of the pocket of his gray suit. He took a pen from the table and wrote a note on the back of the card and then offered it to Tyra. “Here. This is my card. I’ve written down the title and author of a book that I want you to read. Call or email me if you come up with any questions.

Tyra took the card and turned it over to look at the back. He could barely make out the scribbled handwriting, but it read Architectural Elements: The Basics and Beyond, Fredrick Hillard. “Thank you. I’ll do that. I appreciate your time, sir,” Tyra replied. He turned to Rhaval next. “Hey, don’t worry about that soda offer. Glad I could help you out.”

“Okay, but if you show up here in the fall, I'll remember it. Good luck,” the other sire said and smiled.

Professor Hobbs actually offered a hand to Tyra. “Good luck, Mr. Alwick. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

Tyra shook his hand and then departed the classroom and started heading for the parking garage where his car was. He kept the little business card in his hand and ran his thumb over it repeatedly. When he got to the car, he checked his text messages and found two from his dad, one asking where he was, and the second warning him that he was about to miss dinner. He hurried home, hoping he would find leftovers waiting for him.

He was lucky. His father was just about to put the leftovers of a delicious-looking potato soufflé into the fridge when Tyra came in. Lissem looked at his son with a curious expression.

“That must have been one interesting trip to university,” he observed and took the soufflé back out to heat it up.

“Mmm, dinner. Food now, talk later,” Tyra said. He was incredibly hungry and hadn't realized it until the drive home. “Please?”

Lissem laughed, put the soufflé into the oven, and then reached up to ruffle his son's hair. “Sometimes I think I have a pair of starving puppies, not children,” he said fondly. “No wonder you got so tall with all this eating. Come on, get yourself a plate and silverware out of the cupboard.”

“Woof?” Tyra said as he moved to get the things as he'd been told.

Pretty soon he was seated at the kitchen table, digging into his soufflé and starting to feel at ease. His father took a seat across from him.

Tyra could tell that he was practically bursting with curiosity, but managed to hold his questions back until Tyra had at least eaten half his plate. The he asked again, “Well?”

“I had a good time?” he asked, already aware his father wouldn't be satisfied with just that. When Lissem glared at him, he ducked his head defensively. “All right, all right. I went and toured the campus. Talked to the dean, talked to the heads of some departments, accidentally got pulled into an architecture class, came home. And that was my day.” He took another bite of his dinner.

“Architecture?” Lissem repeated. “And did you like it?”

“Software was neat. The professor was a pretty cool old guy, too,” Tyra said with an artfully casual shrug. He wanted more time to think about this and look into it. Tyra knew just how easy it was to get his father's hopes up.

Lissem tried to be casual about it, too, but he failed. “Well, that's nice. Maybe you can talk with your sire about this. He knows a lot of architects, too. And before you ask, there's no dessert, but there should be some popsicles left in the freezer if Feadri didn't eat them all.”

“Of course Feadri ate them all,” Tyra muttered into his last bite of soufflé.

Tyra finished up his dinner and, to his surprise, found one popsicle still sitting in the freezer. He took it upstairs with him to his room and carefully nibbled at the cold treat with the very tips of his teeth as he started up his computer, which was a hand-me-down machine that his sire used before him.

He opened up his email program and found a treasure waiting for him: It was an email from Elain. He quickly opened it.

Dear Tyrallin,

I wanted to keep my word and invite you this time. Since I'm not the one with the good ideas, I'm afraid it's just the Velvet Shadow again. But they have a fine cuisine, and afterward I could show you to mix some more drinks. I can stick to the ones with the harmless names, if that sets you at ease.  
What do you think of Friday, 7.30 p.m.?

Elain

Tyra started to let out a whoop of joy, but he muffled it halfway through. He hurried to start typing his response. He'd just about decided to go ahead and email Elain to suggest another date, but this was even better.

Dear Elain, he started the email. That sounds perfect to me. And you don't have to —

“Who's Elain?” asked Feadri from directly behind him.

Tyra shouted in surprise and turned around in his seat. “Forests! What the hell are you doing in my room?”

“I wanted to nab another of your unused, unloved hoodies from the bottom of your drawer,” Feadri admitted with a placid look. “And dad told me your trip to the university was cool, so I was curious. So, who's Elain?”

Tyra crossed his arms and shifted so that his shoulders blocked the view of the computer. “None of your business, you popsicle moocher.”

“Hey, I left you the one with the extra vanilla filling,” Feadri defended himself and tried to ogle the monitor past his brother's frame. “Come on, don't be like that, tell me! I swear upon dad's muffins that I won't tell a soul!”

Tyra forcefully pushed Feadri away and then kept him at bay by keeping a hand on his head. “Do you swear on dad's chocolate muffins?”

Feadri held up his right hand. “I solemnly swear on dad's chocolate muffins, and if I ever breathe a word to anyone of what you're about to tell me, I won't eat another muffin in my life.”

“Fine,” Tyra relented. “I'm sort of seeing Elain. I took him out to dinner once already, and I'm going to meet with him again on Friday. But I don't want the parents to know, so that's why you're sworn to secrecy.”

Feadri nodded, then shook his head, beaming at Tyra. “Of course I'll keep quiet. But it's so cool, my big bro finally having a boyfriend! But why don't you want dad and sire to know about him?”

Tyra sighed and replied softly. “He's not technically my boyfriend — yet. Look, he's not really my age, okay? I'm not sure what dad and sire would think of the situation, so I just don't want to bring it up for now.”

Feadri's gray eyes went even rounder. “What? Don't tell me my beloved big bro is a cradle robber! Please tell me he's older than me at least!”

Tyra smacked his forehead with his palm. “No, no, you nitwit. Keep it down. He's too old for me. I think he's roughly about sixty, maybe seventy. Got it?”

“Oh! Yeah, maybe dad and sire wouldn't be too happy to get a son-in-law who is about their own age,” Feadri mused. “But you really like him, yes?”

Tyra tried to stop himself, but he just couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. “Yeah, I like him.”

His little brother started to giggle. “Wow, I've never seen you like this! This Elain must really be something. Hey, can I meet your hopefully-soon-to-be boyfriend sometime? What's he like?”

“He's...probably not at all what you'd expect. He's a proper businessman, actually. And no, you can't meet him, at least not for a while. I've got a lot going on, and I've got a lot of convincing to do if I want him to keep me around, and trust me, I really want him to keep me around. Now would you scram, muffin-man? I've answered your questions, and I have email to write. Begone!” Tyra made waving motions at Feadri to shoo him out of the room.

“Oookay!” Feadri heaved a big sigh, but his eyes twinkled with laughter. “I cross my fingers for you! And you have to tell me if there's a new development!” He skipped out of the room, only to come back seconds later. “Can I still have one of your old hoodies?”

“OUT!” Tyra shouted. Feadri squeaked and ducked back out of the room into the hallway. Tyra swiftly shut the door behind him.

Tyra relaxed and returned to his computer. With a content little smile, he finished up his email and sent it off to Elain.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

The week passed in a hurry. Elain had come to terms with himself since he had sent the email and was now free to fully concentrate on his work. In fact he was so busy that he left his office after seven o'clock on Friday evening.

Velvet mewed at him accusingly when he opened his apartment door. The cat was clearly a bit neglected when it came to affection since Elain had been working long hours in his office before he called it a day.

Elain scooped her up and stroked her behind the ears while he went into the kitchen to feed her. “Sorry, Velvet, but I'm in a hurry again,” he told her, putting her down in front of her feeding bowl.

The cat looked at him with her bright eyes and mewed. It almost sounded like a question. Elain smiled at her. “Yes, that's right. Your loner of a master has a date. You can go down to the club and gossip with Marithia if you're too bored. Maybe I'll even introduce him to you later.”

Velvet made an odd sniffing sound like she wanted to say, “You'd better!” before she tucked in her meal. Elain gave her one last pet on the head before he got up and went into his bedroom to change.

As he looked at himself in the mirror, Elain was unsure of what he should wear for the first time in decades. His closet was filled with nothing besides suits in various colors and designs, workout clothing, and pajamas. Finally Elain decided on a black suit in a more casual cut, left the vest and tie, and just put on a plain white button-down shirt beneath. After some moments of hesitation, Elain left the collar unbuttoned.

Nice, but not too casual — and hopefully no too sexy.

Elain went to the bathroom and combed his hair. With a quick gesture, he tucked it behind his ears but then decided against it. It was just too strange. And the glasses... no, they stayed in place, too. Elain wasn't the type who changed his whole lifestyle to please another person, and he wouldn't start now. If Tyrallin wanted to see his eyes without the glasses, he had to earn it.

Finally content with his appearance, Elain left the bathroom to look after Velvet again. The cat thankfully refrained from circling his ankles and thus shedding white hairs on his suit, but she looked at him almost critically and then went to her favorite pillow on the couch to nap. She didn't even bother to look up when the telephone rang.

It was Marithia, telling Elain that “Mr. Tall Blonde and Handsome” was there.

After Elain hung up the phone, he waited for a few heartbeats before he left his apartment and took the elevator down to the first floor. He found Tyra at the bar, leaning across it on his elbows and laughing at something Marithia had said. He was wearing black jeans and a stylish, silky blue button-down shirt, but the cuffs were rolled up, revealing his muscular forearms.

His smile as he spoke with Marithia was absolutely stunning. However, as Elain approached them, Marithia turned her gaze to him, and then Tyrallin’s eyes followed. Somehow, despite the seeming impossibility, Tyrallin’s smile got bigger and his eyes even brighter.

“Hey there,” said the sire. The sire’s eyes briefly and appreciatively scanned Elain. “You arrived just in time to save your reputation. Marithia was going to start telling me all the goofy and embarrassing stories from your past.”

“Oh, really? And here I thought you were too old for fairy tales, Tyrallin,” Elain said, glancing briefly at Marithia. He had no idea what she had been telling him, but knowing her it had been something to encourage Tyrallin further. Damn nosy woman!

Marithia just smiled as innocently as she could. “Have fun, you two!” she said and darted over to the other side of the bar to take the order of another customer.

“I think I can still enjoy a fairy tale or two, especially the ones with the happy endings,” Tyra replied, letting his eyes linger on Elain's. “So what are we up to this evening? It appears that I'm at your mercy this time.”

Elain smiled. “I was thinking of a nice, quiet dinner upstairs. We have a beautiful view over the city there — and no one to disturb us. Does that sound good?”

To Tyra, the only thing that could make such a dinner sound any more romantic would be if Elain had mentioned candles. Maybe Elain was really starting to soften toward him? Forests, he could only hope so. “That sounds really great,” he said, hoping he sounded more casual than overeager.

“Then let's go.” Elain gestured toward the elevators. “So, are there any overly curious women in your life, too?”

Tyra followed Elain to the elevators. “Nah, not exactly. I have a friend, Sally, and she's cool, but she does have more dirt on me than I'd like.” At the elevator, Elain swiped his card, and Tyra followed him in. “Of course, that swings both ways, which makes it nice and even. I'm sure you have just as many stories on Marithia as she does on you. And, by the way, she didn't tell me anything. She was actually plying me for information.”

“Really? What did she want to know?” Elain asked.

“Well, she was trying to be subtle about it, but she was sneaking in questions about my family, the kinds of things I like to do in my free time, where I'm planning to take you for the next date, that sort of thing,” Tyra replied as he leaned back casually against the elevator wall.

“In other words, trying to find out if you're good enough for me,” Elain concluded and suppressed a sigh. “Maybe I should get you a keycard so you can use the side entrance and don't have to face her inquisition again — although she means well.”

“That's not necessary. Marithia's fine. She's fun to talk to. Besides, every guy has to pass some sort of close-friend test, right? It's part and parcel of dating, and I wouldn't want to skip out on any important steps,” Tyra said.

Elain looked at him. “But that would imply I have to pass that test, too, right?”

Before Tyra could answer, the elevator stopped, and Elain went out into a hallway that Tyra had seen before. But this time they went into another room. The dominating color here was red like downstairs on the first floor, although the furniture was more classy and refined. Huge windows granted a breathtaking view over the city, just like Elain had promised. The sun had just set, casting the sky in a warm, glowing light.

“This is...really something, Elain,” Tyra said. “You know, you're going to turn a sire's head if you treat him this way.”

Tyra couldn't remember the last time he'd sat down to eat in such a fancy setting. He reminded himself to mind his table manners well enough to make his father proud.

“I guess that means you like it.” Elain smiled and gestured toward the table by the huge windows. It was set for two, and instead of candles it was illuminated by a tiny amber lamp that glowed softly so as not to distract from the beautiful view outside.

At first Elain had been unsure which room he should take, but then he finally settled for the most romantic room. He wasn't the type to do things by halves, so if he invited Tyrallin to a date, it had to be the perfect one.

Tyra strode forward and pulled out a chair for Elain, and then he took his own. “You know, I don't want to put a damper on things, but we have a slight problem. We're the only ones here, and there's no food.” Tyra could feel himself starting to smile. “Of course, we can see whether it's possible to survive on kissing alone. That'd be a worthwhile experiment, I say.”

“It's not wise to experiment with an empty stomach. Would you press that little button underneath the lamp, please? It's a signal for the kitchen staff to bring our food. I hope you like chicken with sweet-and-sour sauce? It's the specialty here,” Elain said, returning the smile.

Tyra saw what Elain was referring to and pressed the button. “That sounds wonderful.” He leaned forward over the table and smiled at Elain. “So, are you ready to confess that you're employed here yet?”

“Well, I guess there's no use still denying it,” Elain admitted. “Years ago I started here as a bartender, but now I'm in the management. What about your occupation? I don't think you've told me yet.”

Tyra had been expecting that very question since the last date. He'd thought about it for a while and decided that there was just no way that he could tell Elain he was still a student, and a high school student at that.

He wasn't ready for this to end.

“There's not much to tell you at the moment,” Tyra replied. “I do some part time work for a construction company, but other than that I'm doing a lot of studying and trying to decide what I really want to do with my life. It's not coming as easy as I hoped it would,” he said with a wry smile.

“I can understand that. As you said yourself, it takes a lot of time to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life. It took me a while, too,” Elain answered. “When I left my family, I had only finished high school, and it took me some decades until I finally got the opportunity to go to college.”

“It must have been worth the wait, because you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself now.” Tyra leaned forward over the table, casually folding his arms on the edge of it. “And do you like your job here at the Velvet Shadow? You're happy with it?”

“Yes, I am. There's always a lot of work, but that's how I like it. I don't like to sit around and be idle. And speaking of sitting around, what would you like to drink? I'm afraid I forgot to ask.” Elain got up from his seat and smacked himself internally. Was the romantic atmosphere eating at his brain that he forgot something vital like offering a drink?

“I think I'll take some of that mineral water you're always drinking. I have to drive home tonight, so if we're going to mix a drink later on, I should limit myself to that one,” Tyra said.

Elain nodded and went over to the little bar in the corner of the room, taking out a big bottle of mineral water from the fridge. As he was about to return to the table, there was a knock on the door. Elain opened it to let a young woman in. She was carrying a tray with two plates under silver plate covers.

“Good evening sir,” she greeted Elain with a smile. “Here are your orders with recommendations of the chef. He said the chicken is especially delicious today.”

“Good evening Anne, and say thank you for me to the chef, will you?”

“Of course.” She went over to the dinner table and put the plates down, granting Tyra a lovely smile as well. “I hope you'll like it, sir!”

Tyra uncovered his plate to find sliced chicken strips covered in sauce sitting on a bed of steaming rice, surrounded by a ring of cut and steamed vegetables. The sweet aroma of it filled his senses. “Mmm, that smells like heaven,” he said. “I can't remember the last time I've had such a neatly presented dinner. In advance, before I horrify you by eating myself into a food coma, thank you, Elain.”

“You're welcome, Tyrallin. But be careful: There are some hot spices hidden under the chicken stripes,” Elain warned and sat down. “You might want to take it slow.”

“Enjoy your meal, gentlemen!” The serving girl took the plate covers and left the room so that Tyra and Elain were alone once again.

Tyra looked across the table at Elain and admired the way the light from the little amber lamp cast a gentle glow on his features. He tried not to let his gaze linger too long on the place where the top button of Elain's shirt was undone.

“I enjoy a little bit of spiciness,” Tyra said. “And you should feel free to call me Tyra. Everybody does.”

“Then Tyra it is,” Elain answered, unscrewing the bottle of mineral water and pouring some of it in their glasses.

Outside, the sun had almost vanished, leaving only a line of violet-red light at the horizon. The dark blue sky above was already sprinkled with stars.

Good thing I didn't put some music on, Elain thought. Or this whole thing would turn into a scene out of a cheesy romance movie. Surprisingly, it wasn't that disgusting a thought. Despite experience having taught him better, he was a hopeless romantic deep down, Elain had to admit to himself.

Over the next hour, they ate their dinner together, and the conversation that followed flowed easily and naturally for them. Tyra kept his bantering light and playful, and Elain shared more stories from his earlier bartending days.

It was easy, fun, and entirely engaging. When the serving girl returned after an hour had passed to clear their plates away and to set down two little dishes of ice cream for dessert, Tyra was surprised to find out how much time had passed.

Elain felt no different. Usually he forgot about the time only when he was working, not during some leisure activity. But Tyra's company was so enjoyable that Elain suddenly wished that this evening wouldn't end so soon. No stress, no decisions, no difficult business associates — it was almost like living a different person's life for a few hours.

Talking to Tyra and looking into his open, handsome face was like eating the ice cream — sweet and sensuous. But the beautiful moments would melt away as surely as the ice cream did.

When they finished their ice cream, Tyra quirked a brow at Elain. “So, what mixed drink have you decided to tease me with, er, I mean teach me tonight?” he asked.

Elain leaned forward and smiled a bit mysteriously. “That would depend on what you'd like to try. If you still prefer to have rum as basis, I'm afraid there are only drinks with tame names like Angel's Treat, Chocolate Hurricane, or Heaven's Gate. They're all very sweet and would go well with the aftertaste of the dessert. However, if you like vodka as well, we can try for the Screaming Orgasm. It's also very sweet, but a lot stronger.”

Tyra felt his ear tips starting to burn. “I think I'll stick with the rum drinks tonight.” Although sticking with the “safer” drinks made him feel the bite of his own inexperience, it would probably be much, much easier on his libido if they weren't discussing screaming orgasms, especially with Elain looking so relaxed and casual and simply delicious.

Almost against his will, Elain felt enchanted by the sight of Tyra blushing. Although the dim, reddish light was hiding it, he was adept at reading expression in half-darkness.

When did he ever see a grown sire blush? He was quite sure he never had, but it fit Tyrallin’s innocent demeanor. It was simply irresistible and called for a bit more teasing.

“Then let's try a Chocolate Hurricane,” Elain suggested and got up from his chair.

“Mm, even the name sounds yummy. I can't wait to try it,” Tyra said as he got up and followed Elain to the bar. “Besides rum, what else is in this one?'

“We need a special coconut-flavored rum, chocolate liqueur, orange juice, lemon juice, and ice cubes,” Elain told him while picking the appropriate bottles from the bar cupboard. “This drink also requires a cocktail shaker. Using it properly is a bit tricky, but I'll show you.”

“I can handle tricky. In fact, Tricky is my middle name.” Tyra started looking around behind the bar, hoping to spot some of the ingredients Elain had mentioned. “Actually, I don't have a middle name. Dad says that middle names are useless things that a human must have invented when he was feeling bored.”

“Yes, maybe. Take a look into the fridge, there are the juices and the ice cubes.” Elain pulled out a cocktail shaker. “Your father seems to be a very dry-witted person,” he remarked.

“He can be at times. In general, he's good fun.” Tyra opened the fridge and found the orange juice and lemon juice and pulled them out.

Elain almost answered that one day, he'd like to meet Tyrallin's parents, but he restrained himself. This implied that their relationship would grow to a very serious level, and Elain was neither ready nor willing to consider even the possibility.

“Well, now that we have everything, let's get to the mixing,” Elain suggested, returning to their task. He instructed Tyra to measure the needed amounts of liquid and pour them into the shaker, then he closed it.

“Now take it up on both ends. The shaking is very important, so let me guide you.” Elain put his hands over Tyra's.

Tyra looked at Elain's smaller hands on top of his own around the silver metal of the shaker. “Okay. You lead, I'll follow,” he said.

“Like this,” said the lifebearer, and he started the motion. Tyra followed along, trying to focus on the task and not the softness of Elain's hands.

There was a complex system behind the shakes, and Tyra started to pick it up gradually. However, he was sure that he wouldn't be able to imitate the speed of the motions that gradually accelerated. Elain's grip also became firmer, hinting at a strength built from years of cocktail shaking.

“One more turn, and we're done,” Elain finally said and slowed down. “This is the standard way of shaking a drink.”

“I have a feeling it takes years of practice to be as good as you are,” Tyra said. “I might have to ask you to show me that again the next few times until I get the hang of it.”

Elain smiled. “Well, it is a profession in its own right for a reason. If anyone could do it, there would be no bartenders.” He gently poured the drink into a tall glass and gave it to Tyra. It had a strange, murky color. “I know it doesn't look like much, but it's really good.”

“Cheers,” Tyra said, and he briefly lifted his glass. He took a sip, and the sharp and rich flavor encouraged him to take a second sip almost immediately after. “This is fantastic. I might have a new favorite. Mmm.” He took yet another drink, and then he noticed his companion smiling contentedly at him. “I know you typically don't drink, but would you like just a little bit? It'd be a shame if you didn't get to enjoy this.”

Elain hesitated for few moments, eying Tyra thoughtfully. If Elain had just a small sip, there couldn't be any harm in that. “Just a sip, if you don't mind.” Elain reached to take the glass from Tyra.

Tyra, however, pulled the glass away from him and gave him a big grin. “Didn't say I'd let you have my glass, did I?” Then, keeping his eyes locked with Elain's, he took a small sip of the drink and then moved the glass away and put his free hand on Elain's cheek. He brushed his thumb against Elain's cheek as he had that first time he'd stolen a kiss, and he slowly started to lean in, giving Elain plenty of time to decide whether to allow this.

Elain was a bit taken aback at first, but he swiftly realized what Tyra was up to. He didn't pull away, just held still as he felt Tyra's lips on his. The sweet, rich flavor of the drink mingled with the young sire's unique taste, and instinctively Elain opened his mouth a bit to get more of this incredible, sinful taste.

Tyra hummed with pleasure as he felt Elain opening to the kiss, and when he felt the lifebearer's tongue questing into his mouth, he decided that he'd be begging for drink-mixing lessons as the finishing touch to every one of their dates.

However, just as Tyra opened his mouth wider for Elain's access and started to slide his free hand into that soft red hair, the door opened.

No knock had warned them, but the heavy footsteps on the polished floor were clearly not those of the serving girl.

“My, Elain, it seems you do have some interesting secrets you're hiding from me.”

Thrown off his guard, Elain looked up to see Davaric Ashton. He was standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, impeccably dressed as always in an expensive blue suit. The usual flirty smile was a bit strained.

“Mr. Ashton, I do believe there is a clear sign on the door that this room is occupied,” Elain said as soon as he had caught his breath again. Still a bit dazed from the kiss, his tone, however, wasn't as icy as he wished.

Tyrallin very reluctantly stepped away from Elain to give him personal space, but he deliberately stayed within reach. He had a hard time keeping himself from glaring at the intruder. They'd just barely gotten started, and now this sire walks in? Tyra sized him up quickly, taking in the tailored suit and the perfectly groomed hair and the calculated facial expressions.

The other sire, Mr. Ashton, gave his head a brief shake. “I was told that you were busy, but I assumed you were working because no one would tell me anything to the contrary. I didn't realize that you weren't...alone.” As he finished his words, the other sire turned his calculating gaze to Tyra, and Tyra lifted his chin slightly and stood up just a hair straighter.

“Not that it is any of your business, but do you seriously believe that I'd sit in a party room to work? If you want to talk to me, call my secretary as usual,” Elain said coolly. He'd never been this mad at Davaric and seriously wished to throw the sire out. But unfortunately there was still the matter of their business relation, and the Ashton Company was practically monopolizing the market with their beverages. Elain had to be careful.

Davaric shrugged. “I thought you'd perhaps finally grown tired of that undecorated office of yours, but I see now that's not the case. Don't look at me that way, Elain. There's no real harm done. And may I ask who this friend of yours is?”

He asked the question with a smile aimed at Tyrallin, but the younger sire felt a distinct chill in Mr. Ashton's attitude toward him.

Elain's good manners kicked in despite his anger. “Tyrallin Alwick, meet Davaric Ashton. Mr. Ashton is one of the club's business associates,” he told Tyra.

He could practically feel the air grow colder as the two sires stared at each other. And Elain himself was the cause for it.

Just perfect, he thought bitterly and hoped he wouldn't have to call security.

“Nice to meet you,” Tyra said.

“Likewise,” Davaric replied.

Tyra glanced at Elain briefly. At the moment, Elain's time was his, and he wasn't feeling inclined to share, but he knew how serious Elain was about business. However, that didn't stop him from making one particular point very clear to this Davaric Ashton. “I hope you don't mind, but could you possibly wait just a little bit longer to speak with Elain? We'll finish up our date, and I'll be on my way.”

“A date? It gets more interesting by the minute,” Davaric remarked, glancing at Elain. “What did he do to convince you?”

“That, Mr. Ashton, is something you'll never know. Now if you would be so kind as to excuse us. If there's an important matter to discuss that can't wait, please go to my office. Otherwise, I'd prefer it if you call tomorrow.” Elain's tone held a final quality.

“I'll be waiting in your office, then. There's a matter of import pricing that I urgently need to speak with you about. Mr. Alwick, it was...interesting to meet you,” Davaric said.

“I’ll be seeing you around,” Tyra said with a jaunty little wave.

Elain waited until Davaric had left the room before he turned to Tyra. “I'm very sorry. I had no idea that he would barge in like this. But I'm afraid I have to attend to this matter.”

“I understand. I should probably get going anyway.” Tyra said. He took another quick sip of his drink and then started putting ingredients away. “He seemed...very jealous.” Tyra paused as he stood before the fridge with a carton of orange juice in his hand. “Do I have some competition I need to worry about?”

Gently, Elain put a hand on Tyra's shoulder. “No, you don't. Davaric Ashton has been trying to charm me for over two decade, but never succeeded. And that is because I don't want someone whose only interest is in himself and who just wants another conquest for his record.”

Privately, Tyra thought Davaric had seemed pretty intensely interested in Elain, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Besides, what did he know about the sire? Likely Elain had good reason for feeling the way he did.

Tyra took the hand on his shoulder and gave the fingers a gentle kiss. “Then I won't worry about it.”

“Let me make it up to you, will you? Next time I’ll lock the door first, I promise.” Elain stood up on his tiptoes to kiss Tyra again. He wasn't in such a hurry to get to his business matters. Davaric could stew for a while.

“Mmph!” Tyra murmured in surprise and delight. With his free hand, he cupped the back of Elain's head and happily proceeded to pick up the kiss where they'd left off the last time. He opened his mouth and carefully nibbled on Elain's lips and then gently sucked on his tongue.

A few short minutes later, when Tyra was starting to feel weak in the knees and a bit tighter in the pants, he forced himself to draw the kiss to a close, and between soft pants, he said, “Oh man, you're a great kisser.” He immediately regretted his choice of words. Forests, that had sounded so...juvenile.

But Elain just smiled warmly. Despite his glasses, Tyra could see a glow in Elain's eyes that was decidedly passionate.

“Thanks, although I'm out of practice. But you seem adamant on refreshing my memory,” Elain whispered. “Thanks for coming here tonight, Tyra.”

“Thank you,” Tyra insisted. “This was a really nice treat.” He quickly finished putting the rest of the ingredients away and took a last sip of his Chocolate Hurricane. “I can see myself downstairs. I don't need to swipe a card to get down to the first floor, do I?”

“No, the lift takes you there automatically. And I almost forgot...” Elain took out a yellow keycard from his pocket. “Just show this to the bouncers at the entrance, and you can get into the club anytime free of charge if you want to meet me.”

Tyra took the plastic yellow card and flipped it over a few times. “Thank you! This will be a really big help. I wasn't sure whether to mention it or not, but it was going to start getting pretty expensive coming in here all the time.” He slid the card into his pocket with his cell phone. “So do I get to plan our next excursion?”

“Yes, by all means. Just surprise me like last time. And just so you know, this card is not only for helping you save money. You also don't have to ask Marithia every time you want to see me because the bouncers will contact me.”

Tyra smiled, seeing through Elain's plans. “And what if I happen to want to stop and chat with Marithia? She and I have been getting along, you know.”

“Then by all means. But that woman's not as harmless as she seems, I warn you,” Elain said with a smirk. “Goodnight, Tyrallin.”

“Goodnight,” Tyra replied. He started to lean in for another kiss, but then he closed his eyes, shook his head, and backed away. “Must resist temptation and let you work,” he said with a smile. He kissed Elain's cheek and then walked backward a few steps away from him before turning and heading for the doors.

As he headed downstairs and then out to his car, Tyrallin was already starting to come up with potential ideas for the next date.

 

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

The next Friday was the official college visit day for the seniors of Blue Ridge High School. Tyra had already decided to take a trip to Raylington University, and Sally and Jamie joined him. Like Tyrallin himself, Jamie had gotten a handful of acceptance letters with full scholarships and also hadn't decided where to go yet. But unlike Tyra, he and Sally knew exactly which subjects they wanted to take.

They arrived at the campus in the morning and decided to split up to meet again for lunch. Sally hurried to the design department, Jamie made a beeline for the physics labs, and Tyra was once again indecisive. He could have just joined his friends, but he knew that their subjects weren't the perfect solution for him. Although he liked both physics and art classes in school, it was nothing he wanted to do exclusively for the next years.

So Tyra ended up once again wandering from department to department, talking to professors and peeking into busy classrooms. However, he made a special point of visiting the architectural department that morning. The head of the department at Raylington was a tall sire who spoke in a dull, bored monotone and always seemed to be staring off into space or analyzing some basic object in the room. He wasn't exactly an inspiring character. He lead Tyra to a room filled with scale models of buildings, all of which were extraordinarily detailed. Tyra could have spent hours looking at the models and still not been able to see every facet of the small buildings. Unfortunately, his time was limited and he had to keep moving along.

After visits to the philosophy and biology departments, Tyra made his way to the cafeteria. He found Jamie sitting on a wide ledge to the side of the stairs leading up to the large building. Sally hadn't arrived yet.

“I've decided,” was the first thing Jamie said. “I'm coming here.”

“Well, excellent. Congrats. I think you should buy us dessert to celebrate,” Tyra said with a smile. “I take it the physics department was sufficiently cool.”

Jamie was clearly in high spirits, his eyes bright and happy. “You have no idea! The equipment here is the best money can buy, and the professors are very focused on their students and encourage them to find most things out for themselves. That's nothing like the monologues we always get in Mrs. Taylor's physics class. In other words, absolutely perfect. So, what about you? Did you find anything that could catch your interest?”

“Kind of, but I’m still not settled,” Tyra said. “I met a pretty neat old guy in the architecture department at Dalling last week, so I figured I’d check out the architecture here, too. Didn’t like the professors I met as much, but the work they do is…really interesting. I could actually picture myself doing it, which is more than I’ve been able to say about anything else so far. I still want to keep my options open at the moment, though.”

“Architecture? It's an interesting subject alright,” Jamie agreed. “There you do both technical and creative work, and you can make some money on top of it. But you still have some time to decide, so don't worry.”

“Hey guys!” It was Sally. She came running over the campus and tried to get her wind back as she stopped in front of her friends. “Sorry it took so long, but I kept chatting with some students who showed me their latest projects.”

Tyra started heading into the building, and Sally and Jamie followed his lead. “What sorts of projects? And how were the professors?”

Sally smiled broadly. “The professors were the strangest bunch of people I've ever seen. The dean of the department even had green streaks in her hair, can you imagine that? Anyway, the students were working on some videos as part of their graduation project. Not exactly my cup of tea, but it was very cool. I think I can see myself studying here. What about you guys? You seem content as well.”

“Well, Mr. Woe Is Me I’m So Indecisive over here is still on the fence,” Jamie said with a gesture at Tyra. “I, however, am going home and writing my acceptance letter to Raylington this evening.”

“Oh, shut it, you sorry excuse for a carbon-based life form,” Tyra replied, though without any venom in his words. “Hasn’t anybody figured out that you’re really an android yet? I could swear somebody besides me should have caught on by now.”

“That because I'm just too clever, and your garbled brain cells can't comprehend it. All that skateboarding and falling on your head does that to you,” Jamie shot back and waved with his hand as if he wanted to shoo away a fly.

Sally giggled. “If you guys are ever in need of a job, try becoming a comedic duo. You'd be the hit on the kids’ channel.”

“Nah, we should be on the science channel. Those stuffy scientists and physicists need to learn to laugh more,” Tyra said with a pointed look at Jamie.

“I’ll see if I can hotwire my circuitry to allow laughter,” Jamie said. “I’m not making any guarantees, though. It might be bad for my programming.”

They went into the main cafeteria dining hall and paid their way to get into the buffet line, where a wide variety of foods was being served. Once they had their lunches, they had to struggle to find an empty table; the dining hall was crowded with university students. They finally got lucky when a group of students vacated a table. The friends sat down and immediately decided that the cafeteria food here was very good. The salads and vegetables were fresh, and the meat was tasty and tender.

“One more reason to choose this university,” Jamie said, tucking into his food. “What do you think, Sally?”

“It's not as good as Tyra's dad’s cooking, but it'll do,” she answered. As usual, she was living off various salads so she could eat some unhealthy dessert afterward without a bad conscience.

“So what do you think of Raylington, Sally?” Tyra asked after he swallowed a bite of chicken. “Do you think you’ll come here?”

She shrugged. “Well, I first want to see all the other universities in the vicinity, but as I said, I'd like to go where my friends go.”

Tyra poked at his sautéed chicken with his fork. He knew what he needed to say to Sally, but he just didn't know how to say it.

Jamie, however, didn't have the same problem.

“That's not logical,” he said. “You have two possible problems: We probably aren't all going to the same place, and we might go to places that don't have good design programs or that you just don't want to go to.”

“That's why I want to make sure I have at least one of you with me. I know we can't stay together like we used to. But...” Sally looked down at her salad, shoving a piece of lettuce back and forth with her fork. “Well, I don't want to lose you all.”

Tyra stabbed another piece of chicken with his fork and waved it at her. “That's where you're not being logical. You're not losing any of us. If you think about it, it's normal that friends separate when they go off to college. We're really lucky that we live in one of the largest cities, and it has some great local universities to choose from. Besides, think how Atsayal feels. He's not graduating with us, and he's going to leave the city for sure when he finally does graduate next year.”

“Yeah, well, but... ah, maybe you're right. I'm just brooding too much over it. That isn't really like me.” Sally smiled, but it was a bit forced. “Let's switch subjects. Any news on the love front?”

Tyra froze for a second, but then he turned to Jamie. “Yeah, Jamie-droid, any news on the love front? Find a girl with a nice set of motherboards yet?”

“I mean you, dummy!” Sally said and swatted him on the shoulder.

“Ow, hey,” Tyra replied, rubbing his shoulder.

“Come on, don't be a chicken. Tell me,” Sally insisted. “Otherwise I'll have to resort to reading those cheesy lashran romance novels again, and my mom says they'll melt my brain sometime. Do you want to be responsible?”

Jamie just groaned and hung his head between his hands, shaking it. “Utterly hopeless,” he began muttering.

“Hey, your self-inflicted brain melting sessions are none of my doing,” Tyra said. “I'm guilty of plenty of things, but that's not one of them. And I'm taking Elain out for a picnic tomorrow, thank you very much. We're going to pick up a deli lunch and then head to Clear View Park.”

Jamie narrowed his eyes. “Doesn't Jerrik have a skateboarding competition there that day?”

“Yup,” Tyra said happily. “I'm bringing binoculars and I'm going to sneak Elain onto the roof of the party pavilion to watch the competition, just like Jerrik and I used to do in the old days. I just hope he's game for it.”

“Aww, then we won't be able to see him,” Sally complained. “I promised Jerrik that I’d cheer him on, but you're still hiding your boyfriend from us, Tyra. Are you afraid we'd embarrass you?”

Tyra winced. “Not exactly.”

Jamie eyed him speculatively. “Explain,” he demanded simply and then took a bite of his soup.

Tyra shrugged. “It's not exactly a simple situation. He's not like us, guys. He's kind of...older. And I'm pretty sure if he knew that I'm eighteen, everything would be finished. Cinderella goes home, does not leave glass slipper, does not get prince, game over.”

“Do you really think that's such an issue?” Jamie asked. “I mean you lashran take a lot longer for everything than we humans, and an age difference like twenty years or so isn’t nearly as vast as it would be with humans.”

Tyra dropped his fork on his plate and pushed the tray away, suddenly feeling extremely frustrated. “It wouldn't be an issue if I were just a couple years older, you know? And it's not just a twenty year gap; it's at least a forty year gap. I just don't want him to start treating me like a kid, you know?”

A bit taken aback, Sally and Jamie looked at him.

“Oh, wow. Yes, that's a bit much,” Sally admitted. “But if he really likes you, I doubt that he would end this just because of your age. I mean, you're no minor or anything, and if you haven't told him some wild stories about your life... you haven't been lying, have you?”

Tyra shrugged. “No, but just barely. I'm telling the truth but just holding something, a really important something, back.” Tyra folded his arms on the table and put his head on them. “Ugh, what I wouldn't give for just four more years right now. If I were just about to graduate college, everything would be so much easier.”

A few moments later, Tyra felt something soft and squishy bounce off his head. Then another. And another. Tyra peeked up to find that both of his friends were throwing little pieces of broccoli at him. “Hey, cut it out. I'm sulking here.”

“Sulking's not allowed!” Sally said, furrowing her brows. “You can't change certain things, so make the best you can out of it. Understand? It's not like you to give up this easily.”

Tyra practically growled at Sally. “What do you mean ‘give up’? I'm not giving up on Elain. I just...need to invent a time machine, that's all.”

Another broccoli piece flew in Tyra's direction.

“Okay, then Jamie is going to invent one for you, but when he's finished with it, you'll be old enough anyway,” Sally told him and sighed. “This is going to have a happy end, do you hear me?”

“Ugh, no more broccoli in my hair, guys,” Tyra complained. He sat upright and pulled his tray of food back toward himself so that he could continue eating. “Fine, happy ending will be had, Cinder-Tyrallin will get his prince, all will be well in fairy tale land. Does that satisfy you, Sally?”

“Yes it does, thank you very much,” she said primly.

They resumed their meal, and the subject returned to universities and studies and their upcoming graduation. Tyra felt the tightening pressure ease off his chest as their conversation flowed away from his love life, but still, a nagging sense of unease lingered in the back of his mind.

He remembered his conversation with Marithia all too well — and the no-so-subtle hint that Elain didn't take it very well when something important was kept from him. Tyra just hoped that Sally was right and everything would turn out smoothly — somehow.

After they had finished eating, the three friends decided to do some more exploring on the campus. When they exited the cafeteria, Tyra noticed that Jamie held the door open for Sally.

Tyra came up to stand just behind Jamie and very quietly said to him. “So you have found a set of motherboards you like, huh?” Tyra grinned lasciviously and wagged his eyebrows.

Jamie glared at him and adjusted his glasses even though they were perfectly straight. “Oh, stop being such an ass, Tyra.”

Tyra just laughed quietly and took over holding the door so Jamie could go through.

For a moment, his eyes followed his two friends. If he thought about it, Jamie had always been exceptionally courteous toward Sally, and in return the girl had always been strangely protective of Jamie. They would be a very unlikely match, those two, but nothing was impossible.

Smiling, Tyra followed them.

The three friends continued to browse around the university for the rest of the afternoon. Sally decided that she'd like to join one of the freshman year design classes, and Jamie towed Tyra along with him to the engineering department. It was interesting, especially since Tyra had some knowledge already because of his sire's work, although he was fairly sure he wouldn't study engineering himself.

Late that afternoon, the friends headed home.

Tyra had driven the three of them, so first he took Jamie home, and then he started making his own way home. He and Sally had plans to watch a movie together and play video games to kick off the weekend.

However, their plans for the evening weren’t meant to be. When they arrived and went up the walkway to the house, they found Feadri sitting on the steps of the front porch. He had a large, overstuffed backpack sitting next to him.

“Hey, Feadri, what’s up little bro?” Tyra asked as he and Sally stopped in front of the steps.

“Beware all ye who enter here,” Feadri said ominously. “Ye enter the house of depravity, the bordello of lost souls.” When that didn’t get the amused reaction that he was hoping for, he just shrugged casually. “We need to evacuate the house for the weekend, Tyra.”

“Why, what’s going on?” Tyra asked. The next moment, he heard a loud crash from inside the house. It seemed to have come from upstairs. “What the hell?”

“Wait!” Feadri warned him when he started to go inside. “Dad was beginning to feel a bit unwell about two hours ago and told me to call the drugstore to send him some Amsinol. I decided to call sire as well, and he dropped everything at work and came home immediately. He told me to pack a few things to last the weekend elsewhere. So we're banned until further notice.” He scratched his nose a bit uncomfortably. “Better make it quick and grab your stuff. And don't look, or you'll have nightmares for the rest of the month.”

Tyra groaned and rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s just great. Dad’s having his seasonals.” He turned to Sally then. “Sorry, but it looks like hanging out at my place tonight is out of the question.”

“No problem. Hey, let me ask my mom if you can stay for the rest of the evening,” Sally offered. “I'm sure she'll grant you asylum at least for dinner and the movie.”

“And I checked with Zidal already,” Feadri said. “His parents are away for the weekend, so we'll have the place to ourselves. Since dad won't call at ten in the evening and ask me if I'm going to bed already, I'll make use of that.”

“Well, while you're contemplating what to do with your late-night sleepover, I'm going to brave the den of iniquity to get my stuff for the weekend,” Tyra said. “Forests, I just hope they're staying in their own room right now.”

Tyrallin made his way into the house, but before he shut the door, he heard Feadri telling Sally, “I am so not looking forward to seasonals.”

The ideas of Feadri and seasonals simply didn't connect for Tyra, so he forced even the barest thought of them out of his mind.

As Tyra cautiously made his way upstairs and to his room, he realized there was actually a whole lot of information about lashran sexuality that he didn't know. When did lifebearers even begin going into seasonals? Somehow that little fact had never come up for him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had a greater knowledge about human sexuality than lashran from various media sources simply because humans made up the majority of the population. Detrallin had spoken with him briefly and awkwardly about the subject of sex several years ago, but Tyra hadn't felt comfortable at the time, and his sire had seemed very relieved when Tyra had lied and said he didn't have any questions.

Tyra went into his room and got out a small duffel bag and started to stuff clothes and various other necessities into it. He could hear murmurs and movements from his parents' room down the hall. He needed to be quick.

As he picked out the clothes that he wanted for his date tomorrow with Elain, a question that had been starting to grow in the back of his mind over the past week suddenly came to the forefront, demanding his attention: How could he possibly keep his inexperience from showing itself to Elain?

Because Tyrallin was completely and utterly inexperienced.

Oh, kisses were one thing. Those had been easy to come by at parties and behind the bleachers during sporting events. But that was as far as his personal experience currently reached. Anything beyond that would be new territory.

From down the hall, Tyra thought he could hear the beginnings of rhythmic thumpings, and he was pretty sure he heard his father moaning just a moment ago. Tyra picked up his pace and started stuffing items in his bag more haphazardly. But as he packed, another thought, this one unbidden and completely unexpected, sprang into his mind.

What if Elain went into seasonals at some point? And what if he, perhaps, asked Tyra to...help out with them? And as soon as those questions occurred to him, the fantasy of it followed almost instantly behind them. In his mind, Tyra could imagine Elain lying on a bed, his business suit open and in disarray, his red hair fanned out on the sheets, his glasses missing. In Tyra's mind, Elain's lovely violet eyes were yearning, needing.

Heat suffused Tyra's face, but now it had nothing to do with embarrassment. He quickly threw on an overlong sweatshirt on top of his T-shirt to hide the evidence of his arousal. He rapidly stuffed a few last items into his duffel bag and ran out of his room and down the stairs and out the door. Sally and Feadri were still there waiting for him.

Both of them wisely choose not to comment on Tyra's blush and left the front porch together. Since his friend Zidal didn't live too far away, Feadri took his bike to get there, promising his big brother not to have too wild a party.

Sally and Trya went over to Sally's house. Mrs. Kendrick, a tall, good-natured woman with a pretty smile very much like her daughter's, greeted Tyra with a brief hug and promised him some nice dinner before she went off to leave the two friends alone to watch their movie.

“You'd better call Jerrik now or he might be out for the evening,” Sally said while she put the DVD in the player.

“You're right. I guess I'd just forgotten about it,” Tyra said. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket to call Jerrik. He soon confirmed that he could take refuge at his friend's house for the weekend, and then he settled down on the Kendrick's couch to watch the movie Sally had picked out.

After the movie, Tyra said his farewells and drove himself over to Jerrik's house. He thanked Jerrik's parents for giving him a place to stay, and then he and Jerrik went to the back of the house to Jerrik's room to play computer games.

Since it was Friday, they played well into the night, trying to best each other in various games. It was a good distraction for Tyra whose thoughts still threatened to drift back to more uncomfortable subjects. Speaking with Jerrik about it didn't seem such a good idea, although the other sire clearly had more experience. So if Tyra didn't want to embarrass himself or others with asking about certain sexual topics, he had to do what he usually did when he wanted to know more about a subject: He needed to read a manual. And there was also the matter of the architecture book Professor Hobbs had told him about.

Since ordering it via internet seemed to be the safest bet, Tyra asked Jerrik about borrowing his laptop.

“Don't you start to surf on porn sites!” his friend warned him jokingly.

Tyra held up his hands. “All I need to do is order some books. It'll only take me a couple minutes. Besides, I bet you have at least five porn sites bookmarked for easy access,” Tyra accused.

Jerrik just laughed, but Tyra noted that he didn't deny it.

So, while Jerrik went to find them a midnight snack from the kitchen, Tyra quickly looked up the architecture book and added it to his shopping cart, and then he spent a little more time browsing through books on lashran sexuality. He found a popular book that appeared to offer both facts and practical suggestions for application. It was more expensive than he'd been planning on, but he didn't have much time to deliberate or shop around, so he added it to his order and made the purchase. Fortunately for him, he finished his order just as Jerrik returned with a plate of microwaved pizza rolls.

“No porn here,” Tyra declared. “Unless you have dirty magazines hidden away that you haven't shared yet.”

“Of course I have some, but they're well hidden; otherwise my dad would stumble over them while cleaning and start giving me a lecture on how I can ask him anything and that I shouldn't look at other naked lifebearers because I have a boyfriend. Atsayal found them and had a good laugh, though.” Jerrik grinned. “Frustrated, loverboy?”

“What do you think? Of course I'm frustrated. Teenage hormones are bad enough all on their own. Add a gorgeous, classy, graceful lifebearer into my life, and you can just assume I'm a walking, talking ball of frustration,” Tyra said.

“So, no progress yet? I mean, you've been seeing the guy for how long now?” Jerrik offered the plate with the pizza rolls to his best friend.

“Tomorrow's just our third date,” Tyra said. “And kissing counts as progress, doesn't it?”

“Okay. Anyone putting out before the third date would be the cheap sort,” Jerrik allowed. “But I know, you get impatient. Kissing just isn't enough on the long run.”

“It's going to have to be enough until I can figure out how to tell Elain the truth about my age,” Tyra said. “Forests, I think it would probably be best to wait until after I graduate. Then at least I won't be a lousy high schooler any more.”

Jerrik arched one eyebrow. “Sorry, man, but he'll kick your ass either way for not telling him. And maybe you're making too big a deal out of it, and he'll be totally cool about it. I mean, you're not underage or anything, you don't look that young, and I heard that most people like to have younger lovers.”

“There's young, there's too young, and there's jailbait, and I only just got beyond being jailbait a few months ago. You know, graduation's not really that far away now,” Tyra reasoned. Now that he was starting to think about it, that really didn't seem like a bad option. If he could just hold off for a couple of months, he'd be situated better. He'd have a high school diploma to his name, and he'd have his college decided. Being so much younger than Elain wouldn't seem quite so bad if Tyra could just get those two things accomplished before he told him.

Jerrik shrugged. “Suit yourself. Come on, let's eat up and play one more round. I finally wanna beat that boss monster!”

“I bet it's going to just kick your ass again,” Tyra said. But he got up and gave Jerrik the desk chair in front of the laptop anyway.

With a plan for telling Elain about his age finally forming in his mind, Tyra was able to put aside his worries and concentrate on the game for the rest of the night.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

The weekend passed without any unforeseen events, and Tyra and Feadri returned to their home on Sunday. Nobody mentioned the weekend's events any further, but Tyra still had some uncomfortable feelings when he sat down on the couch in the living room, desperately hoping that his parents had kept themselves mostly to the bedroom.

His dates with Elain continued, alternating between romantic dinners and casual, fun outings. Every time they shared more of each others' lives, talking about almost anything. Although they didn't have that much in common, their general attitude towards certain things were the same.

The dates all ended in a similar fashion: One or the other of them would “steal” a kiss. It became a sort of game for them. Who would steal the kiss this time? Would Tyra find some sneaky way to pounce on Elain or bait him into a kiss, or would Elain have the chance to do his favorite trick of grabbing Tyra by the back of the head and pulling him down for a kiss when he least expected it?

Tyra quite cheerfully noted that he was winning by two kisses. However, after each kiss, he was having a harder and harder time stopping. On one of their most recent dates, during the goodbye kiss, he had discovered that he'd slipped his hand under the back of Elain's sweater without even realizing what he was doing.

The more he came to know Elain, the more Tyra wanted him.

He didn't know, however, that Elain was having the same difficulties. He was starting to think of Tyra as a constant presence in his life, something that he had always missed before but had never known it. The young sire was so charming, intelligent, and simply fun to be with that it was too good to be true, but even after weeks of dating, Elain still hadn't found the catch and was seriously starting to believe that there was none.

And he caught himself losing the battle against the growing passion between them. The sweetness of their kisses and the warmth of Tyra's body pressing against him were like drugs that he craved more with every time they met. It didn't help either that Elain couldn't remember the last time when he had been intimate with someone. And it had never felt so... right.

The only thing that was a bit strange was Tyra's reluctance. At first, Elain had attributed it to the young sire's courtesy and general desire to put Elain at ease, but now it was starting to become a bit annoying. Despite Tyrallin’s flirting and compliments, maybe he wasn't truly interested in getting their relationship to a more intimate level? Nasty thoughts of just being a shallow amusement for Tyra or simply being not attractive or not, well, lifebearer-like enough crossed Elain's mind more than once, but he decided to keep his doubts for himself — at least for now. Maybe Tyra was just working up some courage.

However, courage was only a small part of Tyra's troubles. He saw the confused and uncertain looks that Elain was giving him more and more often whenever he ended their make-out sessions all too early for the both of him. His excuses were running ever thinner, ever less credible.

He was also glad that the shower at home could never run out of cold water, because he now required cold showers after every single date.

It was the end of April, and they'd been dating for six weeks. Tyra desperately longed for his graduation day to come and go so that he could feel confident enough to tell Elain the truth about his age. He knew Elain would be extremely unhappy with him, but he felt certain that if he told him in the right way and immediately set about making it up to Elain that he could win the lifebearer over again.

They kept their dating activities confined to the weekends, which suited both of them extremely well. Tyra spent his weekday evenings either studying or working some extra hours for his father's company so he could keep scraping together spending money, and Elain spent long hours during the weekdays working at the Velvet Shadow.

Tyra had also started to read the architecture book that Professor Hobbs had recommended. It turned out to be a thick, heavy tome with glossy pictures and floor plans in incredible detail. But the text was extremely difficult to understand, so Tyra also needed to buy a dictionary for architectural terms so he could read it properly. The more he understood what he was reading, however, the more fascinating it became.

The book about lashran sexuality was just as fascinating, but Tyra kept it hidden and only read it when he was alone and safe in his room so as to evade any embarrassing discussions with his parents.

One Thursday evening, his father was out buying groceries and his sire was working late, so Tyra took the opportunity to pull out the book on lashran sexuality and continue reading it where he'd last left off. He curled up on his bed, facing the window with the book laid out next to him. Likely he would only be able to get through one chapter before he needed another cold shower, just like the last time he'd gotten to read the book, but the knowledge he gained was well worth the price.

However, he had forgotten one critical factor: His brother was still at home, and the young lifebearer could be very, very stealthy when he wanted to be.

“What are you reading?” Feadri asked from directly behind him all of a sudden.

“Aahhh!” Tyra shouted. He slammed the book closed and quickly sat up on his bed to face Feadri. “Forests, you scared me! What the hell are you doing in my room again?”

“I just wanted to check on my beloved big bro and see if he's willing to part with his old, nasty green sweater. I even brought potato chips as payment.” Feadri said, trying to make out the print on the book's cover while he held up a bag of Tyra's favorite flavor.

“Fine, take the sweater and return to that bottomless pit of a room of yours,” Tyra said as he snatched the bag of chips from his brother's hands. At the same time, he moved to block Feadri's view of the book.

But his little brother wasn't that easily chased away. Instead he crawled onto Tyra’s bed. “I still wanna know what you're reading! Is it something secret? A love letter?”

“None of your business, pipsqueak. Out!” Tyra got up and bodily lifted Feadri off the bed and started carrying him toward the hallway. He'd make sure to lock his door this time.

Feadri squirmed like an eel. He finally had Tyra's ribs within reach and started to tickle his brother mercilessly. That resulted in Tyra letting go of him, and immediately the young lifebearer dashed through the room and grabbed the book. “Gotcha! Oh!” When he realized what it was, he started to giggle.

Tyrallin held out a hand toward his brother. “Give it back, you little menace. I'm not kidding about this.”

“Are you kidding me?” Feadri asked. “No way. Do you realize how much trouble you'd be in if dad and sire knew you had this? Oh gods, you're studying up, aren't you?” At this, Feadri broke into such a fit of laughter that he bent over and clutched his sides. “Gods, gods, Tyra, you and your manuals. Even sex?! You're absolutely hopeless!”

“Would you shut up already?” Tyra demanded. He shoved his brother onto his bed and started mercilessly beating him with a pillow and smothering him with it, trying to get him to stop laughing, but that only made the little brat laugh harder.

“Come on, admit it, you're one geeky guy! Who else would read manuals about something like this?” Feadri clutched the book closely and wasn't about to let go, even with the pillow beating he received. “So, now you don't believe that the stork brings babies?”

“Forests, you're such a pest sometimes, Feadri,” Tyra snapped. “I already knew about the big details. I'm just trying to find out all the extra details that people don't talk about. Now give me back my book!” Getting serious now, Tyra snatched one of Feadri's wrists and twisted his arm behind his back. He didn't use enough force to cause real hurt, but he let Feadri know he wasn't kidding around.

“Argh, alright, alright! Lemme go!” Feadri dropped the book on the bed. “You don't have to get so snappy about it.” When Tyra released him, Feadri rubbed his abused wrist and pouted. “But I should consider telling dad that you're reading this cause you wanna be prepared to do some indecent stuff. Unless...”

“Unless...?” Tyra prompted. He folded his arms across his chest. “Spill it.”

Feadri's face took on a look of fake concentration, before he started to grin again. “Unless I get to read that book, too!”

“Deal,” Tyra said without hesitation. “Actually, it can be your secret present for your birthday this summer. Does that work for you?” For the past couple of years, Tyra had gotten Feadri a normal birthday present but also a secret present, something their parents would definitely not allow but was harmless and much desired anyway. Last year, Feadri's secret gift had been a chance to get sneaked into an R-rated movie.

“Yup! I'll look forward to it! And now I leave you to your very important and educational reading.” With a big, triumphant grin on his elfin features, Feadri skipped out of the room.

Tyra just groaned and rubbed a hand over his eyes and then returned to his reading.

~*~

Elain looked up from his computer screen when his secretary entered his office after a brief knock.

“Sir, Mr. Ashton is already waiting for you in conference room two,” he said.

After a look at his watch, Elain furrowed his brows. “The meeting was scheduled for three o'clock, not half past two, if I remember correctly. Tell him that he has to be patient.”

“I already did, sir, but you know Mr. Ashton.” Conroy's normally stern and unaffected face betrayed slight worry. “He told me quite firmly that he intends to come up to your office if you don't show up soon.”

Elain suppressed a curse. “Fine. Tell him I'll be there in five minutes.”

He absolutely loathed to be pushed like that. But Davaric Ashton hanging around in Elain's office, criticizing the sparse furniture and making some unsubtle comments on how that big office desk could be put to far better use than working wasn't something Elain could tolerate anymore. Therefore their private meetings always took place in one of the conference rooms with a big table between them. Not that Davaric was less inclined to make some overtures there, but it was still by far the better solution.

Elain finished the document he had been working on and left his office without hurry. Conroy opened the door of the conference room for him and then went back to his own office. During their previous private meetings Elain had hoped that the presence of his secretary would keep Davaric from getting too flirty, but the sire had always ignored Conroy completely. So now Elain was meeting him alone again.

“Mr. Ashton,” Elain greeted his business partner with a cool voice. “You're not making it any easier for me by showing up too early. Your business may run itself, but I still have to work for it.”

Davaric merely shook his head. “I'm sorry for the trouble. It turns out that I'm suddenly needed at one of the branch offices, so I have a plane to catch a bit later. My secretary tried to contact your office, but to no avail. I'm afraid my help isn't quite as reliable and steadfast as your Conroy. Now, shall we discuss that promotion for the new liqueur product?”

“Of course.” Davaric getting to the point this straightforward was unusual, but Elain wasn't about to argue. He sat down at the table and opened the file laying in front of him.

For the next two hours, the two lashran discussed their business, coming to very satisfying results.

Elain almost thought that for once he would be able to get through a meeting with Davaric without having to put up with any untoward comments. However, that wasn't the case.

“Well, now that we're all wrapped up, why don't you agree to let me take you out to dinner as soon as I get back from my trip the day after tomorrow?” Davaric asked. “I'd love to take you to that new place, the Black Orchid. I've heard that it's been highly reviewed and has received five stars.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I have to decline,” Elain answered, sighing inwardly. “I already have plans for that evening.”

Davaric put on a small pout that many people likely found charming. “Elain, Elain, how much longer are you going to continue to put me off like this? What's the harm in at least granting me a date? I solemnly promise to ensure that you have a good time.” He raised his right hand as if taking an oath.

“Unfortunately, my understanding of having a good time is vastly different from yours, Mr. Ashton.” Elain emphasized the formal address. “And although it's none of your business, I'm seeing someone, so going on a date with you would be out of the question even if I wanted to.”

“Seeing...someone?” Davaric asked haltingly as though he couldn't believe what he'd heard. Davaric searched Elain's eyes, trying to determine whether he was joking, but Elain's eyes remained serious. “Incredible. Well, this is the first time I've heard you say such a thing since we were introduced. Tell me, who is it that you're seeing? Anyone I know?”

“You met him briefly some weeks ago, when you practically broke into the red party room,” Elain reminded him with a stern look. He didn't usually discuss private matters with a business partner, but maybe this was his chance to get Davaric to back off for good.

“The red party room...” A light of remembrance finally came into Davaric's eyes. “Surely you don't mean that young buck with the blond hair? Are you telling me that was more than some little fling?”

Elain's eyes narrowed. “Unlike you, I don't have any 'flings,' Mr. Ashton.”

“Of course, of course,” Davaric replied. “I didn't mean any offense. I was just surprised. I mean, he didn't seem to be your type at all. He looked like he'd be more at home on a surf board than in a board room.”

“And how, pray tell, do you know what my type is?” Elain asked. “I have my reasons, and I'm not going to explain them to you because it is still none of your business. I just thought it would spare us both time if you'd know that I'm not available for you. So you can stop trying.”

“Fine. I understand,” Davaric conceded. “I won't keep pressing you since you happen to be seeing someone. But still, just what do you know about this person? Can you be sure he's not just some fortune hunter?” Davaric asked his question with narrowed eyes and a stern expression.

“Yes, I am sure and I appreciate your concern. But there are still some people who don't judge a person by the size of his wallet.” Elain caught himself smiling while he thought of Tyra's open, honest, and handsome face. “Maybe you should start looking harder.”

Davaric collected his papers and put them into his briefcase. “For your information, I did manage to find somebody who didn't judge me by the size of my wallet. He just wasn't interested. If you'll pardon me now, Mr. Silvestri, I need to go catch a plane. Thank you for your work today on the project.”

“I have to thank you. Have a safe trip, Mr. Ashton,” Elain answered, fully meaning it. He wasn't a cruel person and hadn't intended to hurt his business partner in any way, but it seemed to have been the only way.

As Davaric left the conference room, Elain allowed himself a deep sigh of relief. Twenty years of being constantly hit on had done nothing for his nerves. But it was finally over now. Elain closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

He would be meeting Tyra on Saturday for lunch. And he was resolved to show him his apartment and tell him about being the owner of the Velvet Shadow during one of their next dates. Elain hadn't been able to make up his mind about it for weeks now, but ironically Davaric's words about inconsequential flings and fortune hunters had helped him decide.

If this was getting serious, then Tyrallin deserved to know the whole truth.

~*~

Tyra showed up at the Velvet Shadow that Saturday for another lunch date with Elain. There was no line at the front entrance and only one bouncer. He flashed his keycard to the bouncer and greeted him by name, and then he went into the building and headed for the main disco floor. However, unlike usual, Elain wasn't there waiting for him. Instead he found Marithia at the bar, going over inventory with a clipboard in her hands.

“Hey, Marithia, how're you doing?” Tyra greeted. “It's been a little while.”

The female lashran turned around and smiled warmly at him. “Hey there, handsome. I guess Elain's been sneaky and found a way to smuggle you past my watchful eyes. I hope all's going well?”

Tyra grinned happily. “Yeah, things are going great. Hey, speaking of Elain, do you know where he is? He's supposed to be meeting me for lunch right now.”

“I guess he got delayed by someimportant stuff and should be here any moment. He has a secretary and dozens of employees and still insists on doing all the work himself.” Marithia shook her head in disapproval. “Can I get you anything while you're waiting?”

Woah, woah, wait. Dozens of employees? Tyra thought, feeling a little shell shocked. He carefully slid into a seat at the bar and leaned over it. Perhaps he could still get a little more information from Marithia about this without showing just how much he didn't know.

“Just a glass of water, thanks,” he replied. “Elain really does work hard. He has such a demanding job that I just don't see how he keeps up with it.”

Come on, Marithia, Tyra thought. Help a guy out here. Give me just a bit more info to go with.

Marithia shrugged while she pulled up a glass and a bottle of mineral water. “Well, he's working practically around the clock. I can't remember him ever taking a day off since he took over the Velvet Shadow from the previous owner. So I'm really happy that you're here to distract him from all that business stuff.”

Owner. Elain was the owner of the Velvet Shadow. He owned the whole damn thing.

Tyra took a swallow of his drink, taking care not to choke on it. Forests, he couldn't even begin to guess how much this place was worth. Elain's income had to be astronomical.

“And what about you, Marithia? How long have you been working here?” he asked as he tried to gather his wits about him again.

“Me? Phew, let me think. When Elain started working here, I had already been a dancer in this club for a couple of years, so I guess it's roughly about eighty years,” Marithia said, tapping her chin with her forefinger thoughtfully. “And speaking of years, you might want to know that Elain's birthday is coming up on May tenth. He always tells me not to make a big fuss and he'll definitely kill me if I throw him a party, but I'm sure he'd be happy if you surprise him with something nice.”

Tyra froze with his glass halfway tilted to take a drink. He was glad he hadn't taken a swallow at just that moment, because he was sure he would have had water coming out his nose.

Eighty...years. Tyra took a quick drink to calm himself and put his glass back down. He then plastered on a big grin for Marithia and leaned in toward her. “And just what year is Elain going to be celebrating on May tenth this year? Come on, you can tell me.”

“What, he didn't tell you? And there I thought only we women were divas about not telling our age. He's turning one hundred twenty, and I'd say that requires a bit of celebrating.” Marithia eyed Tyra with a critical look. “By the way, are you alright? You look a bit pale, handsome.”

Tyra couldn't verbalize a response to reassure Marithia. He could barely even process the number she'd told him. One hundred twenty years old was, well, it was a pretty damn big number. Forests, Elain was older than both of his parents' ages combined. He was nearly twice as old as sire.

He was over a century older than Tyrallin.

It was much, much worse than he'd thought. Oh gods, how was he ever going to be able to tell Elain he was only eighteen? What would Elain think? Tyra was years away from even entering the workforce, and Elain owned the most popular, classiest club on the continent, and he was six times Tyra's age. Tyra's mind started spinning in circles, rolling around those two facts over and over again until he started to feel dizzy.

Marithia's warm, gentle hand on his forehead brought him back to reality. “Hey, maybe you should skip lunch today? You seem to be a bit hot; perhaps it's the spring flu. You'd better go and rest, handsome.”

“I-I think maybe you're right. It just hit me all of a sudden.” It certainly did hit him suddenly, not entirely unlike a piano falling on his head. He felt like a cartoon character that was reeling from a blow and seeing stars. “I'm not feeling so great.”

“Then go home and take a good rest, dear. I'll apologize to Elain on your behalf, okay?” Marithia offered. “You're no use to him all sick and miserable. Do you want me to call a cab for you?”

Before Tyra could answer, however, a familiar figure stepped out of one of the elevators and made his way over the dance floor toward the bar.

Tyra watched Elain's approach, seeing him now in a completely different light. This was a mature lashran, a person forged and molded by many, many years of experience in the world.

Tyra didn't get up from his seat but instead lifted a hand and gave a weak little wave. “Hi there,” he said in a small voice. “I think I need to cancel our date for today. I'm not feeling so great.”

Elain looked at him and nodded. “No problem. You get some rest now, and we can have lunch next week. Can you get home on your own or do you need a ride?”

“No, I don't need a ride, but thanks. I'll...see you later,” Tyra finished lamely. He got up from his seat and looked at Elain for a moment. Normally he would reach out and touch the lifebearer at a parting moment like this, but he felt too confused and flustered to do so at the moment. So Tyra simply turned and headed toward the exit, with his feet feeling like lead weights and his head buzzing with confused thoughts.

Elain looked after him for a few moments. There was something strange going on — he could feel it. Sure, Tyra had looked quiet off, but there was something else, too. Elain turned to Marithia.

“Hopefully it's nothing serious.”

“I hope so, too. He came in here some minutes ago, looking perfectly well,” she said. “Then he got suddenly pale and then flushed. We were talking about your birthday and...”

“Wait a minute,” Elain interrupted her. “What did you tell him?”

“What do you mean? I just thought he should know that your birthday was coming up if he didn't already know. I mean, you're hard to buy for, since you already have everything you need,” she replied. “Now that I think of it, he seemed just fine before we started talking.”

“That's why I want to know what you told him. Did you by any means mention how old I am, for example?” Elain asked, almost dreading her answer. If Tyra found it out this way, it surely must have been hard so swallow.

“Yeah, it came up. What's the matter, boss? What's got you looking so worried all of a sudden?” Marithia asked.

“Oh damnit.” Elain sat down on one of the bar stools. “Marithia, I never told him how old I am, and I almost forgot that issue altogether. But from everything I've said to him, he must have thought me being maybe half that age.”

Marithia's brows rose. “Oh really? Even though we both know Tyra's pretty young? I'd say he'd probably around thirty. You didn't think he might like to know that little fact?” Marithia leaned forward. “Is there anything else you haven't told him, boss?”

“Yes, just one more not-so-little thing, and I hope to the Forests that you didn't mention that as well,” Elain murmured. He felt a massive headache coming. “He figured out by himself that I work here, and I never lied to him or anything... but I never told him that I own this place.”

Marithia smacked her hand to her forehead. “Well, shit, Elain,” accidentally slipping into familiar use of his named at work. “Damn. He knows now. I brought it up. He didn't seem phased by it, but looking back, I think that's what got him started asking questions.” Marithia turned away from Elain and started cursing repeatedly under her breath.

Elain had the sudden urge to join her in that storm of nasty words, but he kept himself from it with some effort.

“So it's done. Now I can only apologize,” Elain muttered und pulled out his cell phone from his vest pocket. In a slow and still inexperienced pace — before he met Tyra, he had never needed to type any cell phone messages — Elain wrote the sire a short message since he was pretty sure that Tyra wouldn't answer his phone now.

“I'm sorry you found out this way since I wanted to tell you everything myself. Please give me a chance to explain?”

Elain quickly send it off and then took a deep breath. “Stop cursing, Marithia. It's not your fault.”

Marithia turned back to him with an annoyed expression. “Of course it's not my fault. That fault lies solely in your lap. But I blundered right into the situation anyway, didn't I? Forests, Elain, what were you thinking?”

Before Elain could respond, though, he heard a blip from his cell phone. He opened it and found a short message from Tyra. “Not right now. Can't think straight. Can we meet later?”

Elain hastily typed another message, saying “Of course. Please contact me. I'll be waiting.”

Then he put his cell phone back into his vest pocket and took another deep breath. “I wanted to tell him everything today or on one of our next dates. But you know how people treat me because I'm the owner of this place. I wanted Tyra to get to know me without any preconceptions.”

“Well, congratulations, it worked. But now he found out and turned white as a sheet before beating a hasty retreat. And I got to be the one to tell him.” Marithia put both hands on the bar and leaned on it. “You know, I think you need to keep the extra stresses like these, the ones that you cause, in mind when it comes time for my yearly evaluation for a raise.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” Elain remarked dryly. “But only if he's not scared off for good. Wish me luck, Marithia. I really don't want to lose him because of this,” he added softly.

Marithia’s eyes brightened at that. “Oh ho, what’s this? Really now. That’s very interesting to hear from you, boss. Either Tyra’s pretty damn good in bed, or you’ve developed a soft spot for him. Am I right?” Marithia leaned forward with an eager grin.

“I thought your love life was exciting enough that you didn’t need mine for entertainment,” Elain said with a sigh. “And I wouldn't call it a soft spot. It's more like… well, yes, it could be a soft spot. Maybe.”

Marithia laughed delightedly. “I think I’m going to bake Tyra a big batch of cookies as a thank you. I don’t know how he did it, but it’s nice to see you so stirred up after all this time.”

Elain’s cell phone blipped again. It was another message from Tyra. “I can come over after dinner to talk. Is 8 okay?”

Elain typed a quick affirmation and then looked at Marithia. “At least he's willing to come over again and talk.”

It seems I haven’t completely fallen from grace, he thought with relief. I just hope he’ll understand why I never told him.

“Glad to hear it, boss,” Marithia replied with a wink. “You want my advice? Apologize nicely and then haul him straight to bed and do the rest of your apologizing there. It’s worked wonders for me in the past.”

“Well, maybe it will work for me, too,” Elain replied. “If I can get him to overcome his… reluctance.”

“Reluctance? What do you mean, reluctance? Every time I see the two of you in the same room, he’s practically drooling over you.”

“Nevertheless, he never made a move to deepen our relationship to a more intimate level.” This was still bothering Elain, and as loath as he was to admit it, he wanted to get Marithia's opinion on that matter. “I can only assume that he's either too shy, trying to be the gentleman, or that, well, he's not really interested in more than kissing.”

“Options A and B are definitely possibilities, but option C is out,” Marithia replied. “Forests, I can’t believe this. You’re both hopeless. Of course he’s interested in more than kissing. Trust me. I saw the way his eyes dropped straight to your ass the moment you turned away from him when he picked you up last week. And what about you, boss? What have you been doing to put the moves on? Invited him up to your apartment yet? Of course not, not if you’ve been keeping your job a secret.” Marithia just shook her head in disgust, but Elain could see a sparkle of amusement in her eyes.

“I was about to invite him upstairs tonight. And if we get this mess sorted out, I hope he'll be willing to take the next step. But I won't pounce on him and drag him to bed or anything. It's already complicated enough.”

Marithia snorted inelegantly. “Well pooh, where's the fun if you can't pounce on him? Anyway, good luck with everything. I hope you get it sorted out. Let me know how it goes, won't you?” Elain could see the genuine concern in her eyes.

“I know I won't have any peace for the rest of my life if I don't tell you, dearest Marithia,” Elain answered with a smile. “And thanks. I'd better go upstairs and get some more work done.”

“I'll have to talk to Tyra and see what I can get him to do to stop you from working so hard all the time. Maybe he just needs to provide some worthwhile distractions for you,” Marithia said with a big smile. “I'll see you later, boss.”

“See you, Marithia.”

Elain went back to the elevators to ride upstairs. He knew if he didn't bury himself in work now, he'd be constantly worrying about what would happen later.

He had never thought that it would come this far, but like a ray of sunshine Tyrallin Alwick had found his way into Elain's life, disturbing the lifebearer's peaceful, dark world for good.

And now, Elain was afraid to have shut out that light forever because he had been unable to trust.

~*~

Tyra looked up at the bright neon sign above the entrance to the Velvet Shadow. The glow from it lit up the faded evening light and shone down upon the handful of people waiting in line to get in.

So much of his life revolved around this building now. So much of it revolved around Elain.

He'd spent the entire afternoon holed up in his room, doing very little but thinking and turning facts over in his mind. Now here he was, back again just a few short hours after receiving the shock of the year. The two shocks of the year, actually. Tyra took a deep, steadying breath and walked forward, bypassing the short line so that he could flash his gold keycard at the bouncer waiting there. The bouncer, one he recognized by face though not by name, waved him through.

He walked into the main first floor room, which was not yet crowded with patrons, though it would be soon enough. He found Elain sitting in the same bar stool where they'd first met. He approached Elain slowly, making careful observation of his bearing just as he had that first night. Elain's shoulders seemed tense, and he fidgeted with his glass of water uncharacteristically.

Tyra leaned against the bar next to him. “So, nice place you have here,” Tyra said weakly.

“Thank you. I'm glad you came back”, Elain answered, trying not to sound too relieved. “Would like to come upstairs with me, to my apartment? There we can talk undisturbed.”

Tyrallin raised his brows. “So you live here, too? That explains a lot.” He straightened up and stepped away from the bar. “Sure. Let's go. Lead the way.”

Elain lead him to the elevators, where he swiped his keycard, and they proceeded in silence up to the tenth floor.

There Elain opened the door to his apartment. “Please come in.”

Velvet, hearing the arrival of her master, jumped from the couch to greet him. She eyed Tyra with a curious glance since she wasn't used to visitors, but after a moment she decided he had passed her test. With a loud purr, she rubbed herself against Tyra's leg.

“That's Velvet,” Elain introduced her. “I hope you're not allergic?”

“Nah, not allergic,” Tyra replied. He crouched down and held out a hand for the fluffy white cat to sniff. “Hey there, Velvet. Nice to meet you.” She sniffed at his hand daintily before giving it a quick head butt and then rubbing her cheek firmly against it.

As Velvet continued to mark him thoroughly with her scent, he gazed around the spacious and austere room. It was exactly as he would have imagined Elain’s residence to be, though he hadn’t expected the feline companion.

“Sorry I bailed on lunch, by the way,” he heard himself say quietly.

“No, I understand. And I'm the one who has to apologize for not telling you everything up front. But I had some sound reasons for not doing so,” Elain answered in an equally quiet voice. “Will you give me a chance to explain?”

“Of course,” Tyra said. He rose and put his hands in his pockets. “Just so you know, I’m not really mad or anything. Just sort of...stupefied, I guess. I knew by a lot of little hints and big hints that you had to have some sort of significant position here, but I just never guessed you owned it. And, well, I don’t mean this rudely, ‘cause I really don’t care about it, but I was a little surprised to find out your age.” Oh Forests, why did I say that? Please, please, please don’t ask me how old I am, Tyra pleaded in his mind.

“Truth be told, I didn't think about the age difference either. I mean, it was clear to me from the beginning that I'm about three or four times your age, but it didn't seem to be a problem. I'm glad you see it the same way.” Elain smiled briefly, but then his face grew serious again as he looked at Tyra. “And about me owning the club... when you guessed correctly that I worked here, I should have told you. But I was just afraid that you'd judge me by my position— since everybody does as soon as he knows who I am. And when I realized that we would continue to see each other, I wanted you to get to know me without all the dead weight of social influence and wealth.”

Tyra listened and nodded. “That makes sense, especially since you probably have to deal with a lot of bullshit on a regular basis.” Tyra scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Look, I know we haven't really talked about it, but you know my net value compared to yours is pretty much zip, right? I don't want you thinking I'm some kind of money grubber, though.”

“No, I already know that. And since I’ve had enough of fancy restaurants, the dinners you treated me to were perfect.” Elain took off his glasses and put them down on the table before he took a few steps into Tyra's direction until he was standing mere inches away from him. “Nevertheless, I'm sorry that you had endure such a shock. I want to make it up to you.”

Tyra gave Elain a small smile and ran a hand through his soft red hair. “You don't really have to do that, you know. There's nothing to make up for.” Even as he said it, he couldn't help leaning down just a bit to put their foreheads together.

“Nevertheless, you deserved better than that. It's just that in my line of work I almost never meet really decent people, so I'm still trying to get it in my head that you're one of them,” Elain said softly. Then he raised his head a bit to plant a soft kiss on Tyra's lips.

Tyra's fleeting moment of guilt over being considered trustworthy was quickly washed away by the touch of Elain's lips. He relaxed in contentment and tilted his head to deepen the kiss, encouraging Elain to part his lips. At the same time, he lowered the hand that was in Elain's hair to the lifebearer's shoulders in order to draw him in closer.

So warm. So sweet. Everything that Tyra wanted.

Elain pulled Tyra closer, gently stroking the back of his neck and combing through the short hairs there. It still was the perfect kiss they shared, but it wasn't enough anymore. And Elain wasn't about to let this end even before it had really started.

With a gentle but insistent pull, he maneuvered Tyra to the couch.

Tyra paid little heed to where they were going. All he knew was that Elain was kissing him, and Elain wanted him to move, so move he did. He would happily do anything Elain asked of him as long as the kisses continued. So a few short moments later, he was surprised when the backs of his calves came in contact with something soft but firm. It came as even more of a surprise when Elain stopped the kiss and gave him a gentle shove backwards, which had him falling onto the couch.

Woah, holy shit, Tyra thought. Solid, soft surface. Space for being horizontal. Alone. Private. And at that point, his higher brain functions shut down. All that mattered was that the kisses had stopped.

“Hey there,” he said menacingly to the smiling redhead above him. He grasped Elain's wrist and firmly pulled him down so that Elain ended up in Tyra's lap, straddling his thighs.

Elain wasn't protesting in the slightest. On the contrary, he leaned down to kiss Tyra again while his free hand busied himself with finding a way under Tyra's T-shirt.

When Elain's hand slipped under the front of his T-shirt, he gasped at the feeling of the warm fingertips touching the skin of his stomach.

Forests, if he didn't get a handle on things now, this was going to run away with him. He remembered one bit of advice from the lashran sexuality text book he'd been reading: If you want to be a good and generous lover, don't let your partner overwhelm you. If you want to keep your cool and control, focus on your partner. It was actually meant to be a tip for sires dealing with lifebearers in seasonals, but Tyra thought it was sound advice in general.

So Tyra quickly captured Elain's wrists and pulled them away, and then he focused on getting him out of his suit jacket. At the same time, he also leaned forward and started pressing dozens of small, sucking kisses along the side of Elain's neck. Once he had the suit jacket off of him, he set about getting his tie unknotted.

That proved to be a difficult task since Tyra soon realized he wasn't familiar with that sort of tie knot. But he finally managed to get it undone, and the expensive silk tie fluttered to the ground next to Elain's jacket.

Elain hadn't meant to leave the whole task to Tyra, but those kisses sent shivers through his whole body, distracting him from any further rational thoughts. Before he could stop himself, a soft moan escaped his lips.

The sound of it went straight to Tyra's head. His groin tightened and he couldn't help but give a quick little bite to the spot where Elain's neck met his shoulder. He renewed his attack on Elain's clothes, fighting with the buttons of his pressed white shirt. He heard a small snap of a fabric thread breaking, but nothing seemed to tear, so he kept going until the white shirt hung open and loose. He immediately started kissing and licking along Elain's collarbones, which had been teasing him with the barest glimpses for weeks now. At the same time, he put a hand against Elain's soft, smooth stomach to feel the heat and life in his body.

For Elain, it felt like Tyra's hands and lips were burning, leaving marks on his skin that would never fade. But at the same time he felt cherished in a way he had never before. Vaguely Elain remembered that he had been the one who had wanted to do the pleasuring, not the other way around. But he wasn't about to stop what Tyra was doing. He just tried again to get rid of Tyra's T-shirt with unusually clumsy fingers.

This time Tyra cooperated, pulling back from Elain and helping him get the T-shirt over his head. He took a moment to look at Elain, taking in the open white shirt and the lovely pale flesh behind it. He could see a small pink nipple peeking out whenever the lifebearer took a breath. Elain started to move toward him again, but Tyra stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait. Please, just a bit,” Tyra requested softly so that he could just look for a few more moments. Then he slid his hands under the white shirt along Elain's waist, moving the shirt a bit more out of his way, and he leaned forward and captured that nipple in his mouth.

Unconsciously Elain leaned into the touch. Tyra's mouth and tongue were almost scalding hot against his sensitive flesh, and little electric sparks ran through his body with every caress and nibble.

Elain's hands found their way into Tyra's hair again, partly holding the young sire in place, partly needing something to hold onto. He moaned again, the sound of his own voice strangely foreign in his ears.

Tyra hummed happily to himself, pleased with the positive response from Elain. Taking it as encouragement for more, he wrapped his arms around Elain's torso beneath the white shirt he still wore, and he focused his efforts on the tasty little treat in his mouth. All the while, he felt his pants constricting tighter and tighter against his swelling crotch, and he started to squirm a bit in a futile effort to relieve the pressure.

Beneath the haze of pleasure, Elain noticed it, too, since his own pants also started to feel a bit too tight. They had to get rid of those offending garments fast while they were both lucid enough.

With some regret, Elain gently pushed the young sire away so they got enough room for further undressing and proceeded to unbuckle Tyra's belt.

Tyra gasped and shifted, giving Elain room to work. At the same time, he reciprocated and started to undo Elain's buckle. It was an easy enough job, but as soon as he undid Elain's fly, he realized he was a bit stuck. He couldn't pull down Elain's pants with him in his current position.

“Here, come on, you need to stand up, lovely,” Tyra said, urging Elain to rise with gentle nudges. His own belt was unbuckled now, but Elain couldn't undo the zipper with Tyra in the sitting position.

Elain complied, climbing off Tyra to pull his own pants and shoes off. They unceremoniously joined the other garments on the floor before Elain joined the young sire on the couch again. Tyra's pants and shoes were easier to get out of the way, albeit with a bit of strain because of his arousal.

As soon as Elain was back on the couch, Tyra pounced. He put one muscled arm around Elain's middle and then swung him down so that he lay on the couch on his back with his head cushioned on the pillows at one end. He quickly shifted so that he was sitting between Elain's legs. He placed a brief kiss on the inside of one of Elain's knees, and he looked greedily down on the prize waiting for him between Elain's thighs. The edges of the white shirt Elain was still wearing fell open at his sides.

Focus! Focus on your partner! Tyra shouted at himself mentally. He tore his eyes away to meet Elain's eyes.

“I'm gonna go slow, okay? I want to do this right and figure out what you like and dislike, so you have to tell me if you don't like something, all right?” Tyra asked as he stroked one hand along the outside of Elain's thigh.

“You're definitely doing this right up until now,” Elain whispered a bit breathlessly, feeling a blush rising in his cheeks. It wasn't because of what they were doing, but because of the look Tyra gave him. Although Elain wasn't in any shape to find out what exactly it was in those glowing, hazel eyes that made him blush again after countless decades, it certainly made him feel like he was doing this for the first time.

Tyra nodded and then lifted one of Elain's legs up with a firm hand placed behind the knee. He started slowly kissing and licking a trail down the inside of Elain's thigh. The skin was wonderfully soft, and he couldn't help but nuzzle it just to enjoy the sensation. When he had almost reached the top of the thigh and all of the fascinating parts that waited for him there, he could feel Elain tensing up with anticipation.

Tyra wanted to go right for it, but he reflected back on the advice that he'd read. Tease, tease a bit more, take your time and don't go straight for the goal, he reminded himself. He switched backward and started giving the same attentions to the inside of the other thigh, and the frustrated yet eager sound that came from Elain's lips told him he'd done the right thing.

Elain was about to grab Tyra's head and tear a bit of hair off, but he kept himself from doing it with some effort, instead holding onto the cushions of the couch. But those teasing touches and licks were absolutely maddening.

“Please,” Elain heard himself begging and was a bit shocked by the wantonness of his voice, but then those thoughts drowned in sensations again.

Hearing that one little word made Tyra's cock buck eagerly, and he gave up his attentions to Elain's thigh. In a kneeling position, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on either side of Elain's hips. He panted softly as he glanced up at Elain.

“Remember to tell me if I do something you don't like,” he said quickly. Then he took the head of Elain's cock into his mouth, molding his tongue to Elain's sensitive flesh and discovering what it meant to give a blow job for the first time.

Tyra loved every second of it.

Elain was far from protesting. Instead, he had to keep himself from crying out at the sudden sensation of being engulfed in this incredible heat. Tyra's careful ministrations were just perfect, albeit maddening slow. Elain finally gave up and grabbed Tyra's head, stroking the soft blond hair and incidentally touching the tips of the sire's pointed ears.

Around his mouthful, Tyra gasped and whimpered in shocked pleasure at the brief touch against his ear tips, sending vibrations along Elain's twitching member. Had his ears always been so sensitive? Just the briefest touch against them had given him a jolt of sharp pleasure that went straight to his groin. He put his left hand around Elain's member, taking a firm grip to steady it as he tried to recover from the shiver-inducing shock. His right hand stole between his legs to grip his own cock, which was growing desperate for attention.

As soon as he felt he had control over himself again, he began to gently suck at the head of Elain's cock, giving it tentative, investigating licks as he did so.

Despite his resolve not to cry out and save some dignity, Elain couldn't keep himself from whimpering. Damn, the young sire was good at this — and it had been far too long since Elain had gotten a blow job. He just hoped that he could hold back a bit longer, but at this rate it wasn't very likely. Lust spread like wildfire through his veins, setting every nerve ending in his body ablaze.

Tyra began to stroke his cock even as he caressed and squeezed Elain's shaft, attempting to somehow coordinate the motions with the sucking motions from his mouth. So far Elain hadn't given him any complaints, and the sounds he was making were all stroking his ego's fire rapidly.

But then, as he sucked, suddenly a new flavor began to spread across his tongue. He'd heard that lifebearers tasted sweet, but this....

Tyra pulled his mouth back and observed Elain's member as he gave the shaft a firm but careful squeeze. A bead of moisture appeared at the very tip, and Tyra quickly lapped it up with his tongue.

He looked up at Elain's fevered violet eyes. “You taste wonderful, like honey tea,” he said between pants, and then he put his head back down to sample more of the flavor. He began shifting his hips restlessly as he jerked himself off faster. Forests, the flavor, the touches to his ears, the sounds Elain was making...this had to be heaven. He whimpered eagerly for more.

Every time Tyra made any sound, it reverberated through Elain, eliciting more jolts of pleasure.

“Forests, Tyra... please...”, Elain begged, feeling absolutely helpless in his pleasure. If he had been more coherent, this feeling would have been frightening, but now it wasn't at all. Because Elain trusted Tyra. And this trust was like a warm, glowing light inside him, fueling and deepening the passion even more.

Emboldened by Elain's passionate responses, Tyra strove to take more of his cock in his mouth. He could take a bit more, but he couldn't get anywhere close to taking Elain into his throat.

He jerked his own cock eagerly, thrusting into his fist with his hips. He couldn't hold out much longer — he was on the verge of coming now with the sweet taste of Elain on his tongue and the eager sounds of Elain's passion ringing in his ears. He needed just a little more, a little bit extra to help Elain along and push him over the edge first.

Then something he had read in the manual occurred to him. With his left hand that was gripping Elain's shaft, he shifted his thumb down to the spot between his member and his testicles and gave it a firm press and rub.

Elain's eyes widened, and this time he wasn't able to suppress a cry as the orgasm suddenly washed over him. For a few moments, he saw little stars dancing before his eyes and reminded himself to continue breathing.

The sweet taste of Elain's release flooded Tyra's mouth, so much that he couldn't swallow all of it. What he couldn't swallow at first he then quickly began to lap up from Elain's flesh. But for a moment, his greedy suckling halted because suddenly his own release was upon him, and he arched as hard as he could and groaned loudly against his companion as he spilled his seed on his own thighs and hand.

With his body trembling from the adrenaline rush of pleasure and his lips and jaw feeling numb and overworked, Tyra shakily pushed himself up so that he could look down at Elain.

The lifebearer was breathing heavily, his eyes half lidded, cheeks still flushed.

“I think you just found out was I like,” Elain finally said, smiling up at Tyra. “Forests, I honestly can't remember anyone ever being this dedicated. Thank you.”

Tyra froze briefly, not expecting the sharp sting that Elain's words left in his gut. But there was no reason for Elain to realize what a cold douse of reality his compliment would have on Tyra. Of course Elain was experienced, and it would be perfectly within reason for Elain to expect that a mature sire was experienced as well.

But Tyra was neither experienced nor even truly an adult in the eyes of society. And he realized then that he couldn't go any further that night.

Carefully, he leaned over his prone companion and gave him a brief but deep kiss. “You are absolute sweetness,” he said. He gave him another quick kiss. “Elain, where's your bathroom? I have a bit of cleanup to do.”

“Through that little hallway next to the entrance, second door,” Elain told him, sitting up on the couch. His usually pristine apartment looked decidedly messy with all the clothing on the floor, but at the moment he couldn't have cared less.

Who would have guessed that this disastrous day would turn out like this? Now Elain just had to wait for Tyra to come back and then convince him that they'd better migrate to the bedroom.

However, Elain was in for a surprise when Tyra came back and started to pull on his underwear and jeans. Once he was half dressed, Tyra sat back down on the couch next to Elain and took his hand to pull him into a sitting position.

“If it's okay, I'd like to call it a night there,” Tyra said. “This actually wasn't what I was planning on when I came over to talk, but,” and here Tyra gave Elain a small, satisfied smile, “the moment kind of ran away with me.”

Now Elain was even more confused, but he smiled back at his... lover. Yes, he could call him that now. “To be fair, I had firm plans for seducing you tonight, but I didn't expect to be seduced instead. Next time I'll have to even the odds again.”

Tyra smiled and leaned over to kiss Elain once more. “I don't know. I think I was pretty well seduced actually. I just...can't stay the night tonight. When we make love the first time, I want to do it right, and afterward I want to be able to sleep with you and wake up with you the next morning.” He reached out and touched Elain's cheek. “Is that okay? We can wait a bit longer, can't we? There's no rush.”

“No, you're right. We have time.” Elain gently stroked over Tyra's neck and chest before he pulled back his hand.

There it was again, this warm feeling inside Elain as he heard Tyra saying those words about making love and waking up together. This wasn't about quick satisfaction and shallow fun together, but about something deeper, something meaningful. And Tyra was right, they didn't need to hurry anything. Elain just had to accept that fact that he had found probably the only sire on Wyndrah who didn't jump at an opportunity for sex, but was a true romantic and wanted to savor the experience. But Elain wasn't about to complain since he now knew it wasn't a problem of lacking passion.

Tyra pulled his T-shirt on and then grinned mischievously at Elain. “I'm going to think of you every time I put honey in my tea from now on.”

Elain felt his cheeks grow warm again. “And I won't ever be able to sit on this couch without thinking about you. Now off you go before I decide to tie you up and drag you to the bedroom like Marithia proposed.” He gave Tyra a playful little shove, using this as an excuse to feel the sire's well-defined chest under his fingers again. Next time he'd have to do a lot of exploring.

The thought of being at Elain’s mercy made a delightful little shiver race up and down his spine. “Wow, I didn’t realize Marithia was so kinky. I’ll have to thank her for the suggestion.” Tyra pulled on his shoes and rose from the couch. “So, I think it’s your turn to decide what the next dating event is. Next weekend, do you think? Will you drop me a note and let me know what the plan is?” Tyra found that he was extremely eager to return to Elain, and he couldn’t leave without making sure they had their next meeting in order. He wanted more than anything to take the lifebearer in his arms and kiss him and cuddle him, but if he did that, he’d never leave.

And he’d have a hard time explaining to his parents why he never came home that night.

“I'll think of something special,” Elain promised. “And by the way, I'll upgrade the status of your keycard so that you have access to this level as well. Just put it into the scanner in the elevator.”

He leaned down to grab his jacket and pants only to find Velvet sitting on them and yawning. With a little push he shooed the cat away from his clothes. Velvet gave him a betrayed look and went straight to Tyra, begging for his attention instead.

“She really seems to like you,” Elain remarked with a smile. “Just be careful that she doesn't follow you outside the apartment.”

“Heh, she just knows I’m a big sucker, that’s all,” Tyra said, and he leaned down and give the cat a quick scratch behind the ears. “And I’ll make sure she doesn’t get out.” Tyra straightened up again and took a hold of Elain’s wrist and pulled him up into an embrace so that he could give him one more sweet kiss. “I’ll see you next weekend. Mm, it’s going to be a long week until then.”

“I'll promise to tell you of my plans in the next couple of days, so it's not that long a wait,” Elain said softly and smiled. “Goodnight, Tyra. I'm really glad that we now have all the secrets out of the way.”

Inwardly, Tyra groaned, but he kept it to himself and gave Elain a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. “Call me or email me,” he said, and he just barely kept himself from calling Elain love.

Shit, he was in so, so much trouble.

He excused himself with one more kiss and left Elain’s apartment. As he got into the elevator to descend to the first floor, he hoped that the sinking sensation was the lift and not his heart.

Elain just stood there for a moment, looking at the already closed entrance door. He was feeling ridiculously content and it didn't even bother him that he was standing around almost naked.

A soft “meow” behind him reminded Elain of his demanding little roommate's feeding time. With a smile, he picked up his clothes and dressed again, still feeling Tyra's hands and lips on his skin.

To be contined...


	11. Chapter 11

Monday at Blue Ridge High found Tyra and his four friends gathered around their favorite lunch tree, sitting beneath the branches that were showing buds of green leaves.

“I’m going to Raylington,” Jamie announced with pride. “I put my acceptance letter in the mail this morning.”

“Hey, man, congratulations!” Jerrik said enthusiastically, and he slapped Jamie on the back none-too-gently. “That’s great. Finally, one of us bit the bullet.” Next he smacked Tyra on the shoulder. “You’re next, buddy.”

“Dalling,” Tyra said simply as he slowly poked his container of noodles with a fork. “Talking to my parents tonight and putting my letter in the mail tomorrow.”

“Wow, Mr. Indecisive finally talks turkey,” Jerrik said grinning. “Now all that remains is Sally's choice.”

“You two are not making this any easier by choosing different universities,” she muttered. “I really don't know yet. And Jerrik, what about you? You've been looking so smug the whole day.”

Jerrik grinned broadly. “College is going to have to wait. I got signed go to pro with skateboarding. The deal got sealed this Saturday, and I’m now a member of the Stonetown sportswear extreme team. I start training for team routines this weekend, and I start travelling for shows and competitions the day after graduation.”

“Get out of here. No way, man! That’s fantastic!” Tyra said. He clasped hands with Jerrik in a fraternal gesture.

Jamie snorted in disgust. “See what I meant about you guys falling on your heads? You're hopeless, really.” But then he smiled. “Oh well, congratulations, Jerrik. Just try to get your sense back some time.”

“And I'm still stuck at this boring school for another year,” Atsayal muttered. “I can't wait to get to the sorcery academy and finally learn something useful.”

“Like how to take over Wyndrah? If you do, count me in,” Sally said with a broad grin. “Then I'll dictate the fashion.”

“When you guys are done taking over the world, cut me off a slice of it, would you?” Tyra said with a small smile. Then he put the remainder of his lunch aside and stretched out on the grass, looking up at the budding branches above. A warm breeze played across his face.

“Nah, maybe you get a small island if you're really nice to us,” Sally graciously offered. Then she grew serious again. “Hey, you alright? You have that something-is-bothering-Tyra wrinkle between your brows.”

Tyra sighed and shook his head slowly. “You remember that little itty bitty age difference problem between me and Elain we were talking about a while back?”

“Yeah, what about it?” Sally asked. “Oh no, did he find out about your age, Tyra?” The others were all listening carefully now.

“No, it’s not that,” he replied. “Just that the itty bitty difference isn’t so itty bitty.” Tyra sighed, and the sigh ended in a small groan. “Elain’s turning one-hundred and twenty next month. Oh, and he freaking owns the Velvet Shadow.”

For a few seconds everyone gaped silently at Tyra before they all started talking at the same time.

“He's what?”

“And I picked him out for you, man!”

“Would you shut up for a moment, Jerrik?”

“Now that is indeed a major problem.”

“Guys!” Sally admonished. “We're no help at all here. What do you want to do about it, Tyra?”

“I was starting to lean toward the time machine idea again,” Tyra said. “Guys, I don't know what the hell to do. I thought it was bad before, but now with him being the owner and being more than a century older, I don't know how I can possibly tell him I'm only eighteen!”

“But you have to sooner or later,” Sally insisted. “Or do you want to lie to him for the next few years — if your relationship will even last that long?”

“I disagree. Telling him now would just result in getting your ass kicked out of the door. I'd say you wait at least until you're out of high school, “Jerrik said. “Maybe Jamie will invent the time machine even sooner.”

Atsayal gave his boyfriend a sharp blow with his elbow. “Jerrik, this is serious! Tyra, you should have told him up front. Now whatever you do, it will just get worse.”

“Yeah, right, and if I'd told him up front, what do you think would have happened?” Tyra asked as he rose into a seated position. “He simply wouldn't have gone out with me, and that would have been it. But I didn't tell him, and he did go out with me, and now I don't want to lose him.”

Sally crossed her arms. “It's not going to get any better by waiting.”

“No, but it's not getting worse either, man. The longer he gets to know you, the better the chance he won't chuck you out when he learns the truth,” Jerrik said. “I mean, you sound pretty serious to me, and if he's as deeply involved as you are, man, then it won't matter to him.”

This earned him another elbow in the rips. “Forests, there are some days when I have no idea why I'm dating you,” Atsayal muttered. “The only thing that can save you is to do some serious groveling and hope he's willing to forgive you. But seriously, if I were Elain, I wouldn't forgive you, Tyra,” he added mercilessly.

Tyra turned pleading eyes to Jamie. “Come on, Jamie, help me out here. They're all ready to stick a fork in me and call me done.”

Jamie just shrugged and shook his head. “You're asking me for relationship advice? Honestly, that's a good sign right there that you're screwed.”

Despite the glum mood, the five friends couldn't help themselves and started to grin at this statement.

“What about Marithia?” Sally asked. “You told me that she's Elain best friend. Maybe she can give you some advice?”

“Eeh, that might not be a good move,” Tyra said with a wince. “I'm pretty sure she'd go straight to Elain with the information. She's kind of protective of him.” Tyra sighed and ran a hand over his face. “I'm going to wait until graduation. There's just no way that I can tell him I'm in high school. At least if I wait until then, I've got my diploma, one of the basic accomplishments almost every adult has achieved. I'll tell him right after that and go straight into the groveling and begging for forgiveness. Forests, I just hope it's enough.”

“We all hope so. It's no fun seeing you sad,” Sally said. “And it would be a lousy way to start college life.”

“You got that right. Speaking of which, you're the last one to pick a place, Sally, so you have to treat us all to ice cream after school,” Tyra said with a smile. At just that moment, the bell rang, indicating that they had only a few minutes to reach their next class.

The friends reluctantly got up and started heading to their respective class rooms. For a moment Tyra watched Jerrik and Atsayal clasping hands as they walked down the hallway together. Despite the young lifebearer's harsh tone, he was always quick to forgive his boyfriend. For a moment Tyra was envious of the ease of their relationship. Why did it have to be this complicated for him?

Jamie came to walk by Tyra as they headed into the building. “Don't give up yet, okay? Because if a brainiac nerd as good looking and sociable as you can't get his relationship stuff figured out, I'm absolutely doomed.”

Tyra sighed and rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the encouragement. At least, I think that's what it was supposed to be.”

Tyra hurried to his classrooms and spent much of the rest of the day watching the clock on the wall, urging it to hurry along.

~*~

Like Tyra, Elain had done a lot of thinking as well, but in a totally different direction. Since their intimate encounter, he had been contemplating about a way to show Tyra that he was still resolved to continued their relationship. Although the young sire hadn't shown any insecurity, Elain was sure that he still had some doubts whether someone like Elain was being serious with someone like him. And now Elain had found the perfect way to show his intentions to his lover.

On Tuesday, he sent an email to Tyra.

Dear Tyra,

I promised you something special for our next date, so I'd like to invite you to a big event on Friday in the main VIP lounge of the Velvet Shadow. It's the club's annual charity party, and the guests are always a very mixed crowd, not only stiff people in business suits. I'd be honored if you'd be there as my official date. The party starts at eight o'clock.

Elain

The charity party was the club's highlight of the year where businesspeople, celebrities, artists, and simply anyone who was willing to buy a ticket would have a beautiful evening. It was also one of the rare occasions when the press was not only allowed, but invited since the whole event needed lots of promotion for a high donation sum.

For Elain it had always been a trial because he wasn't able to escape public attention, but this time he wasn't as reluctant as he had been all those years before. On the contrary, this time he would have the most handsome and charming partner at his side.

~*~

When Tyra received Elain's email that evening after school, he read it multiple times before he responded.

Elain,

I'd love to be your date, and I'm honored that you asked me. I'll look forward to escorting you on Friday. Hopefully I can still remember how to behave like a gentleman around you. I promise I'll be on my best behavior, or at least I'll try.

Tyra

Elain wanted him as an official date, and the significance of the gesture came through loud and clear. They'd kept their relationship very strictly to themselves, and this had to be a huge step for Elain. Tyra idly wondered how many times Elain had ever invited someone to such an event as an official date.

Nothing on Wyndrah could keep Tyra from the party that night. However, he did realize there was just one small snag in the plan. Tyra got out his cell phone and called Sally.

“Hey, Tyra, what's up?” she answered.

“Hi there. Hey, you remember when I swore up and down that I was never going to let you take me shopping and use me as a dress-up doll again?” Tyra asked.

“Yeah, I remember,” Sally replied sardonically. “And so does everyone who was on the second floor of the Century department store when you started shouting. Why do you ask?”

“Well, you see, there's this thing,” Tyra started, and he briefly explained his date for Friday and what he needed. Sally's squeal of delight nearly deafened him.

Gods, was there anything he wouldn't do for Elain?

~*~

The week passed by in a hurry, and by Friday evening Tyra was anxious to change into his new clothes and get ready to leave the house. But he found himself unable to even get into the bathroom. His father was in there, obviously preening himself and shouting at every inquiring knock on the door that he needed “just a moment”.

Detrallin was also already at home and searching through his own wardrobe, so Tyra deducted that his parents would go out tonight. It was already past seven, and Tyra just hoped they would hurry up a bit.

However, the minutes kept trickling by as Tyrallin sat on his bed, anxiously twitching his leg and watching the digital alarm clock continue to damn him a little further. Eventually, when he knew there was no way he could make it on time, he got out his cell phone and sent a text message to Elain.

Sorry, so sorry! I'm going to be late. Can my keycard get me onto the main VIP floor? I'm really sorry!! I'll catch up with you.

He flipped his cell phone shut. A few minutes later, he received a message in return. Yes, just swipe your card and come up to the fifth floor. Don't keep me waiting too long. It's been a long week.

Tyra then went out to the hall and called out again in the direction of the bathroom. “Daaaad, are you done in there yet?”

“Not quite! Looking beautiful takes time, you know!” Lissem answered.

Yeah, I know, and that's my problem, Tyra thought.

The time was a quarter till eight when Lissem finally emerged, and he went straight to Tyrallin's room. His father really did look wonderful — he reminded Tyra of those pictures he'd seen of his father during his acting days before he bonded and started a family. He wore a golden laced-up vest over a silky cream-colored shirt, and the loose, gauzy sleeves were somewhat transparent. The sleeves flared at the end and stopped just before his wrists, showing off his gold bonding bracelets. The top buttons of his shirt were undone. His brown slacks hugged his legs almost indecently. He had even put some light makeup on for the occasion and styled his hair differently.

To top it all off, he wore a golden choker necklace with a teardrop diamond hanging from the center of it. It had been Detrallin's twentieth anniversary gift to his mate.

“You look really nice, dad,” Tyra conceded.

“Thank you, darling,” Lissem said with a pleased smile, and then he called out. “Feadri! Can you come here for a minute? I want to talk to you both, and I don't want to repeat myself.”

Moments later Feadri emerged from his room, for once not wearing one of Tyra's old clothes. “What is it, dad?” He looked admiringly at his father. “Wow, you look great!”

“Thank you, darling,” Lissem said, and he briefly stroked Feadri’s hair. “You know, if you wanted, we could go shopping for some nicer things for you, some clothes that aren’t quite so…baggy.”

“No thanks!” Feadri said cheerfully, and he hopped onto Tyra’s bed and sat there next to his brother, cross-legged. “Whatcha up to, dad?”

Lissem let out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine, but let me know if you change your mind. Well, as you know, your sire finally completed the Gro-En project. Apparently there’s a function for the project that I’m accompanying him to tonight.” Lissem dropped his voice as he continued. “But more importantly, he says he has a surprise for me. I’ve been hinting for the past month that I’d like to visit that lovely new spa that’s been advertised, and I’m hoping that we’ll be coming back here and packing our bags and heading out for the weekend. If that’s the case, you two can mind the house for us, right? Tyra will be in charge, naturally. Of course maybe it won’t be this weekend. It might be later on, but I’m hopeful.”

“No problem, dad,” Tyra said. “You just go on out and have a good time.” Unfortunately, his father didn’t seem to be in any sort of hurry.

Feadri however, noticed that Tyra was fidgeting a bit and glancing at his watch. As soon as Lissem was out of the room to find matching shoes for his outfit, Feadri nudged his brother lightly. “Sooo, what are you up for this evening?”

“Big plans with Elain, and I’m late,” Tyra told him very quietly. “I can’t get dressed until dad and sire are out of the house, and Sally needs to come over and fix my hair for me. Geez, I can’t believe my luck.”

“Oh, fun,” Feadri replied. “Anything I can do to help?”

“If there is, I’ll let you know,” Tyra said.

“Well, you could change now and put a sweater or something over it,” Feadri suggested. “And why not call Sally now and tell the parents she's here to hang out? Or I could go and help dad with finding his shoes. Even I can have taste when required.”

Tyra ruffled Feadri’s hair. “I can’t put a sweater over the shirt I’ll be wearing. It’ll wrinkle,” Tyra explained. “You go help with shoes. I’ll call Sally.”

They both set about their tasks. A few minutes later, as Lissem and Detrallin were heading down the stairs to leave, the doorbell rang.

Feadri was fast enough to open the door and let Sally in. She greeted everyone, gave Lissem some compliments, and then wished them a beautiful evening.

“And you three have fun, too — and don't stay up all night!” Lissem warned good-naturedly.

“I think they know that already,” Detrallin remarked dryly. “Come on, love.”

As soon as the door closed behind them, Tyra raced upstairs to change. Sally and Feadri followed him, grinning at his eagerness.

Tyra slammed his door shut and quickly started to change. He pulled on a pair of brand-new dark gray slacks, a black belt, and a very dark gray button-down shirt with an extra wide collar. On top of that, he shrugged on a gray vest with a pattern of flashing silver scales. He stepped opened his door wide again and then stepped in front of his full-length mirror and started fussing with the details of his appearance and straightening thing out. He deliberated about unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling them up for a few minutes and then decided to go ahead and do it. He replaced his casual bracelets and earrings with the nicer silver pieces he reserved for special occasions.

Sally came in and leaned against his doorjamb. “Yo, this is Fairy Godmother to Charming. Hair needs to commence in T minus ten seconds and counting. Do you read me? Over. Ugh, why didn’t you get the gel out before I came over? This is going to take time to fix, you know.”

“Sorry, dad was occupying the bathroom and I couldn’t really stick my head in the kitchen sink,” Tyra answered, dashing past her into the bathroom to get the gel out. With lightning speed he rinsed it off, trying not to get any water on his outfit, and then rubbed his hair dry again with a towel.

Sally hauled a chair from Tyra’s room into the bathroom and plunked in down in front of the sink, and Feadri followed her into the bathroom.

“Now sit down and hold still,” Sally instructed as he came back and grabbed a comb to get the tangles out. “Feadri, styling foam, please.” She held out her hand as if she was a doctor during an operation requesting the scalpel.

With no small amount of trepidation, Tyra took a seat in front of Sally. “Just go easy on me, okay? It’s been a long time since I did anything besides the spikes.”

“Styling foam!” Feadri responded, and he put the metal can into her waiting hand.

“Don’t worry, Tyra, this is going to hurt you a lot worse than it’s going to hurt me,” Sally said with glee. She sprayed foam into her hands and then dug her fingers into Tyra’s hair.

He hollered as if he was in agony, and he started wailing at her to stop torturing him. She complained that he was being a baby. Their antics sent Feadri into a fit of giggles that had him leaning over the sink and gasping for air.

“Next time I'll have a camcorder ready!” he promised.

“Don't make idle threats. Give me the brush,” Sally instructed him as she continued to work on Tyra's hair. She had combed it all back, and now she started to fluff it up again but kept the bangs out of Tyra's face.

“Done yet?” Tyra asked when the styling looked like it was just about completed.

Sally brushed one last time through the hairs at the back of his neck and then eyed him critically from all sides. “Perfect! And if I might praise myself for once, you've never looked better.”

Tyra bolted up from the chair and gave Sally a very quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Fairy Godmother!” And then he bolted from the bathroom and into his room, where he quickly gathered up his wallet, keys, and cell phone. When he left his room, he found Sally and Feadri waiting in the hallway. “Feadri, you're okay minding the house, right? And you'll cover for me if dad and sire get back early?”

“Of course! Have fun, Tyra,” Feadri said, grinning.

“Sweep that prince of yours off his feet!” Sally cheered.

“Will do, and thank you both.” Tyra opened the front door to leave, and he saw his paint-scraped and rusted car waiting for him. “Hey, Fairy Godmother, anything you can do about my carriage?”

“No, now get going!” Sally replied.

“Later!” Tyra gave one last wave and then went off to the party.

~*~

Meanwhile in his apartment, Elain was getting a bit impatient. Over half an hour had passed since Tyra had sent him the text message, and he couldn’t delay his appearance at the party any longer.

At nine o'clock, he would have to make the official reception speech to the guests, thanking the donors for their participation, and until then he had a lot of shaking hands to do. Elain would have preferred not to do it alone, but there was no choice now.

He adjusted his tie one last time in front of the mirror although it was already perfectly straight. Elain was wearing the new formal suit he had found during his last shopping trip. He had actually meant to buy only casual clothes like simple pants, sweaters, and polo shirts so he wasn't overdressed for the occasions when Tyra took him out. But that suit had just been perfect, so he had decided to take it as well.

It was a black frock coat with matching black slacks, a gray silk vest underneath, a white shirt with a high collar, and a dark red silk tie that matched the color of his hair. The suit molded itself to Elain's body in a way none of his other suits did. It didn't make his shoulders look broader, and it accentuated his slim waist. Until a few weeks ago Elain had never considered wearing such a suit, but now it was all different. He wanted to look good in it, not just impeccable and serious.

Elain glanced at his watch again and then decided to leave his apartment. After a short ride in the elevator he found himself on the fifth floor. Most of the guests were already there, chatting, drinking champagne, and showing off. Everyone was dressed in their finest, and some celebrities were showered in a rain of flashing lights from the reporter's cameras. Elain quickly weaved through the guests, trying to get to the bar where Marithia was.

He didn't get far, however.

Elain had barely taken five steps into the main VIP lounge when guests began to greet him enthusiastically with compliments and congratulations on a stunning turn out for the party. And every time he excused himself from one set of guests, another two or three or four were upon him, delighted to rub elbows with the reclusive owner of the Velvet Shadow.

Elain was polite as always but tried to be brief in his answers so that he might have a chance to reach the other side of the room in the next half hour.

He finally reached the middle of the room and had already spotted Marithia who was handing out drinks with a smile and looked like a living extension of the room in her glittering, black-and-white dress. But just as he had excused himself from a bunch of guests, he caught a snippet of conversation behind him.

“... of course. Tyrallin is such a sweetheart and so very reliable, I'm really lucky to have him. I mean, what's a few years for us lashran? Of course I intend to go back to the stage when my children are fully grown up.”

This stopped Elain dead in his tracks. He slowly turned around to have a look at the speaker. It was a beautiful lifebearer with silvery hair and a face that seemed to belong on a perfume ad. His two companions were humans, a famous theater director and one of the wealthy female patrons of the arts in Valkyrie Falls.

Don't be silly, Elain chided himself. Tyrallin is not an unusual name here, no need to get suspicious.

But the suspicion was already there, a nagging feeling in the back of his head that forced him to turn around and find out what this was all about.

“Mrs. DeVillard, it's a pleasure to see you here,” he smoothly greeted the woman, who eagerly shook his hand and beamed at him.

“Why, Elain Silvestri! You look absolutely stunning this evening,” declared Mrs. DeVillard. “And you must be thrilled that your club is hosting such a delightful and popular event. Everyone seems to be having a fabulous time. Mr. Silvestri, you remember Mr. Spencer of the Valkyrie Repertory Theater, don't you?”

“Of course,” Elain said as he reached out to shake the man's hand. “It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Spencer.”

“Likewise, Mr. Silvestri,” said the theater director.

“Mr. Silvestri,” Mrs. DeVillard said to capture his attention once more, “we were just speaking with Lissem here and trying to convince him to return to our stage sooner rather than later. Won't you be a gem and help us with that?”

“I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure of making his acquaintance before,” Elain said, and as he said this, he met the lifebearer's silvery eyes.

“Oh, this is a dreadful oversight,” said Mrs. DeVillard with a flutter of her hand next to her age-softened face. “Lissem, this is Elain Silvestri, the owner of the Velvet Shadow.”

The other lifebearer held out a hand toward Elain, and he offered Elain a warm and inviting smile. Golden bonding bracelets glimmered on his wrist. “Lissem Alwick. Very pleased to meet you.”

For a moment Elain almost forgot what he as supposed to do, but then he took Lissem's hand and shook it. “I hope you'll enjoy this evening, Mr. Alwick,” he managed to say and desperately hoped that his shock and confusion did show on his face. This could still be a coincidence, and he needed to find out.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” Elain offered.

A pleased little smile appeared on Lissem's face, and he dropped one hand to briefly touch his abdomen. “I'm afraid not. The little one that's on board right now would prefer that I abstain.” He looked to Mr. Spencer then. “That's what I wanted to tell you. It looks like it'll still be several more years before I'm ready to return to the theater. I do miss it, but apparently the Forests are blessing me right now, and I'm going to take full advantage of it.”

“Of course. Just don't make us wait until we're old and gray,” Mr. Spencer said.

Mrs. DeVillard smiled fondly at Lissem. “I wish you all the best! I got a little grandson last year, and it's such a joy to have a child in the house again.”

Elain was grateful for their interjection because he felt like he had just gotten doused with cold water. If this Lissem Alwick really was what he feared, then...

“Mr. Silvestri? Maybe I could get some mineral water or soda instead?” Lissem asked.

Elain pulled himself together. “Of course. Should we try to get to the bar? If you don't mind,” he looked at Mr. Spencer and Mrs. DeVillard.

Mr. Spencer chucked softly to himself. “I'm never one to object to getting closer to the beer,” he said. He offered Mrs. DeVillard the crook of his elbow. “Shall we, my dear?” The two humans lead the way through the crush of people, and Lissem fell into step next to Elain.

“I haven't been to the Velvet Shadow before,” Lissem Alwick said. “This is a spectacular place, Mr. Silvestri.”

“Thank you. I'm always glad to welcome new guests here.”

Elain was on autopilot, he noticed. They managed to get through groups of other guests and finally reached the bar. Elain gave Marithia a short sign, and moments later she was there with a bottle of mineral water. She briefly frowned as she saw that something was not right; she'd known Elain too long to not notice.

Elain took two glasses from the counter and managed to pour water into them without spilling anything, although his hand threatened to shake.

Calm down. You don't know yet for sure.

“So, may I ask where your bondmate is this evening, Mr. Alwick?” Elain asked Lissem.

Lissem rolled his eyes in obvious annoyance. “He had things he needed to speak to his co-workers about, all sorts of dry and dusty construction stuff, so I've abandoned him for the evening. I swear, I need to take that sire by the ear and firmly start reminding him to pay more attention to me.”

Elain managed to stifle a gasp. He remembered quite clearly Tyra telling him that he worked part-time at a construction firm.

No, this couldn't be a coincidence! Tyrallin Alwick had been lying to him the whole time! All that nice, honest, open demeanor had been a charade. No wonder he had refused to stay the night since he had a family waiting for him!

Forests, why did I have to fall for such a bastard again? Elain thought bitterly. He took a sip from his water and tried to calm down. He had a responsibility as host. And Lissem was as much a victim as he was.

“Well, I guess he just doesn't know what he's missing,” he heard himself say.

Lissem Alwick gave Elain a small smile. “Oh, I think he'll come around soon now that his latest work project is over.” Lissem took a long drink of his water and then looked at Elain again. “What about you, Mr. Silvestri? Is there anyone special for you? I suppose you meet plenty of attractive sires and men in your line of work.”

Elain kept his features carefully schooled as he answered, “Yes, I suppose so. But most of them turn out to be dazzlers who just think of their own fun. I imagine you met that sort often enough, too, if you worked at the theater.”

Lissem tilted his head just slightly as he considered this. “I did sometimes, but then I just learned to pick out the good ones from the bad ones.”

At that moment in the conversation, Mrs. DeVillard returned and put a hand on Lissem's arm. “Lissem, my love, I've just spotted someone that you absolutely must meet. She's a new and rising star at our beloved theater. I do so hope to see you together on the stage one day. Mr. Silvestri, do you mind if I steal him back from you?”

Lissem turned amused and playful eyes to Elain. “I have a feeling I'm going to be taken from person to person all evening.”

“Trust me, I know that feeling. Nevertheless, please enjoy the evening,” Elain said and forced himself to smile. Lissem returned the smile and then followed Mrs. DeVillard back into the midst of the crowd.

Lissem Alwick seemed to be a nice person, and he wasn't responsible for anything that Tyrallin did. For a moment Elain had been tempted to drop a hint, but strictly speaking this wasn't his business.

For one, short moment Elain wondered why Tyrallin would have risked that his mate and his lover could meet here, but then he simply concluded that he didn't know that Lissem would be here.

Forests, the next time he saw Tyrallin, Elain was sure to forget his good manners.

A brief glance at his watch told Elain that he didn't have much time until nine o'clock. Until then he had to cool down and be prepared to give his reception speech and then survive the rest of the evening.

Before Elain could leave the bar, however, Marithia noticed that he was now without companions, and she came over to him again. She leaned over the bar toward him so that she could speak a little lower and still be heard.

“Hey boss, you okay? You look like you just tasted something extremely sour,” she said.

“That's an understatement,” Elain murmured. “Sorry, Marithia, but I'm not in the mood to talk right now. Could you be a dear and do your best to cover for me tonight? I'll be leaving as soon as I can.”

“Leaving early?” Marithia practically squeaked. “But this is the annual charity ball! I don't know how I could possibly cover for you. People are going to want to talk to you, not me.” But then she paused and took another look at his face. She sighed heavily. “I'll do what I can.”

“Thank you, Marithia,” Elain replied. With that said, he got up and made his way through the crowd of guests again.

Of course several people wanted to talk to him. He tried to be as short as possible with his answers without getting impolite before he managed to reach the entrance to the VIP lounge.

The elevators were located in this area as well as a separate cloak room. Two pretty hostesses stood at the entrance as well to check the tickets and the guest list. Elain gave them a quick nod and turned around to reach a door leading to a maintenance room that was only accessible to staff members.

A familiar voice, however, stopped in Elain in his tracks.

“Elain!” Tyra said from behind him. “I'm so sorry I'm late. I got held up, but I raced here as soon as I could. Gods, you look great tonight. I don't think I've seen you wearing a suit quite like that before.”

Slowly, Elain turned around.

Tyra stood there, looking absolutely gorgeous in his outfit. The different hair style accentuated his features in an elegant, distinguished way without taking away the openness of his face. Too perfect to be real, and therefore not real at all.

Elain felt his hands growing cold, and for a moment he had to struggle to take a breath.

“You’re late. Some urgent business matters, right?” he asked coolly.

“Nah, actually, believe it or not, it was my parents that held me up,” Tyra replied with a crooked smile. “But I'm here now. You'll have to tell me what to do. Am I supposed to escort you around, or do I get to play your ever-devoted shadow?”

Elain's eyes narrowed. “Why don't you go in there and say hello to your bondmate? We chatted a bit. Congratulations, by the way. And then I would prefer if you leave after that and never come near me again.”

Tyra blinked a few times, feeling extremely perplexed. “Bond...mate? What?” He laughed awkwardly. “What are you talking about? I don't have a bondmate.”

Elain couldn't believe what he heard. Tyra really had the audacity to deny it!

“As I said, I just talked to him. Now please stop trying my patience, Mr. Alwick. I have a party to run,” Elain told him, turning away from Tyra to leave.

Tyra panicked and took hold of Elain's wrist before he could get very far. He had a horrible feeling that if he let Elain get away now, he might never see him again. “Elain, wait. Don't just walk away. We need to clear this up. You've made a mistake, or there's some sort of confusion. Just hold on a second, okay?”

“Confusion? There's a pretty, bonded lifebearer here at this party who shares your last name, says he's lucky to have his Tyrallin, and mentions his mate works in the construction business. Do you think I'm stupid?” Elain resisted the urged to struggle although he felt the beginnings of fear rise up inside him. “Now let me go!”

Tyra couldn't think of any proper explanation. He was dumbfounded as to what was going on. All he knew was that he couldn't do as Elain asked and let him go. “Elain, Elain, calm down! I don't know what happened or who it is that you met, but it's a misunderstanding. Would you please stop looking at me like that? I'm not the bad guy here. Look, just listen to me, and we'll figure this out, all right?”

Tyra wanted to look around and see who this lifebearer was that Elain was so concerned about, but he didn't dare take his eyes off Elain for a second. However, he could sense that some people around them were starting to murmur and cast questioning looks in their direction.

Although they stood at the entrance of the lounge and therefore weren't in direct viewing line to everybody, enough people had already noticed that there was something going on. For a moment Elain glanced at the curious guests and caught the flash of a camera.

“For the last time, let me go, or I'll call security!” Elain hissed. Forests, they were delivering a perfect little scandal for the press.

“Elain, please!” Tyra said urgently. He would have continued, except for one thing....

“Tyrallin Alwick, what the hell are you doing manhandling that lifebearer?”

Tyra looked over his shoulder to find Lissem Alwick standing there, hands on his hips, and looking more pissed off than he'd seen his father looking since the time he had taken his sire's car for a joyride without permission. In fact, he hadn't even looked as angry then as he did now.

Shit, Forests, gods damnit. Tyra was completely fucked.

And still, despite the fact that the world was crashing down around his pointed ears, he couldn't make himself let Elain go.

Elain stared at Lissem for a moment before he looked at Tyra again.

“Now dare to tell me you don't know him!” he said with deadly coldness in his voice.

“Wait, wait, wait, hold on just a second,” Tyra said. He met his father's eyes with desperation. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going out to a Gro-En function or something like that.”

“That hardly matters at the moment, I think,” said Lissem. He folded his arms across his chest. “I'm expecting a very good explanation right now, Tyrallin.”

Tyra, however, was at a complete loss for words. He felt his mouth open a close a few times, and a few helpless noises made their way out, but words seemed beyond him at the moment.

Elain took the opportunity to finally free his wrist from Tyra's grip and took a few steps back.

Lissem still glared at his son. “I'm still waiting! What is this all about? And why are you even here? I thought you were at home!”

“I know this looks bad right now,” Tyra said to Lissem, “but can I please explain it later on at home? I have to talk to Elain. Please.” Tyra pleaded with his eyes as well as his words, but there was no softening in Lissem's expression.

“I don't think so, Tyrallin. You'd better come up with a good explanation right now,” Lissem declared mercilessly.

Elain decided to stay out of this. For a moment, he thought that it would be a good idea telling his guests that everything was in order and tell the reporters not to take any photos. But Elain's mind wasn't clear enough at the moment to take the necessary actions. All he could do was stand there, listening and waiting to see what was about to happen.

Tyra ran a hand over his face. “It's really complicated, a long story, and it's important that I get something cleared up with Elain first.” Tyra took a step toward Elain, but Elain took a step backward from him. “Look, Elain, hold on. Who is it that you think I'm bonded to? Tell me, and then we'll go talk to him and clear that up, okay?”

Elain stared at him, not believing what he heard. “If this is a joke, it’s the worst I've ever heard, and I'm not in the mood for it in the slightest. You either stop playing dumb, or I'm throwing you out immediately!”

“I'm not playing dumb!” Tyra hissed. “I really have no idea what the flying fucking hell is going on here!”

“Language, young sire!” Lissem snapped.

“For the love of —” Tyrallin started, but he stopped himself before he cursed again. “I hardly think my language even matters at the moment, dad. I've got bigger things to worry about!”

“Dad?” Elain echoed, sure he had misheard. Now completely confused he looked back and forth between Tyra and Lissem.

Tyra tried once more to turn pleading eyes on his father. “Look, dad, this is more important to me than you can possibly imagine. I promise I'll give you a full explanation at home later, and I won't spare a detail. I just have to do this right now, and it can't wait.”

“Just wait a moment. Lissem Alwick is your father?” Elain interjected, now sure he hadn't misheard. He turned to the other lifebearer. “Mr. Alwick, is that true?”

Tyra felt his jaw drop as the pieces started to click together. “You thought he was my bondmate?” He nearly sagged in relief, but he couldn't do that quite yet. Because there was still one more problem.

“Yes, this is my son,” Lissem said. “And my son is now going to give me an explanation, and then he's going to go home, where he's now officially going to be grounded until the start of university in the fall. So? Start explaining, Tyra.”

Detrallin appeared from the crowd at that moment, and he went to his bondmate's side and whispered. “What the hell is going on, beloved? One of my co-workers just pointed me over here and told me my family was causing a scene. And why is Tyra here?”

“I still have no idea why our son is here, and I'm still waiting for him to explain it,” Lissem replied, looking at Elain. “Mr. Silvestri, if you...”

Elain didn't hear him however. The words grounded and start of university echoed in his mind. Forests, if Tyra had as young a parent as Lissem seemed to be and still lived at home, he had to be a good deal younger than Elain had thought. And usual only a kid got grounded by his parents...

“Tyra,” Elain whispered, gone deadly pale. “Please don't tell me you're a minor!”

Tyra felt his entire body go cold and then hot in the span of a few seconds. He felt as if the ground should open wide and swallow him. He wanted to hide, but there was no way that he could now. “Elain, I—” But what could he say at this point? “I'm not a minor. I'm not. But...I'm eighteen.”

“Eighteen? Forests...” Elain felt the cold shudder of dread creeping over his body. He had pegged Tyra for about thirty, at least twenty-four. But eighteen... an adult in any legal sense, but just barely.

The whispered voices of the other guests sounded hazy, like he heard them through a veil. More flashlights went off, but Elain didn't care. It was simply too much.

Not even discovering that Tyra could be bonded had made such an impact on Elain. This was so much worse. And it didn't change one fact, one damning fact: Tyra hadn't told him.

Tyra tried to take Elain's wrist again. “Elain, please let me explain? Can we go talk somewhere, please?”

Going somewhere else. That was all Elain understood. And suddenly his brain started to function again. He realized what a scene they had made, how perfect a scandal they had caused for the press and the society to sink their claws into. A lover's spat in the middle of the VIP lounge complete with fake rivals, the confused parents and a lot of shouting, worse than any sop opera on TV could ever be. Now Elain had to cut his losses.

“Mr. Alwick, please excuse us,” he murmured in Lissem's direction. Then he grabbed Tyra by the arm and hauled him off to the staff entrance.

Tyra, oblivious to such issues as press and flashing lights, simply looked over his shoulder at his parents. “I swear I'll explain later.” And then he hurried to keep up with Elain.

Hastily Elain opened the door, unceremoniously pulled Tyra in and shut the door behind them. It was a small maintenance room where the main controls for heat, light, and acoustics were located, only illuminated by the pale light of various monitors and displays.

Elain sagged against the door, taking a few deep breath before he looked up to meet the young sire's eyes again.

“Why?” he demanded quietly. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Tyra froze for a moment, and then he just slowly started to shake his head. “At first it didn't seem to be a big deal, but when I started to realize there was a pretty significant age gap, I didn't want to tell you because I wasn't sure how you'd react. Even if you were willing to see me, I didn't want you treating me like a kid. And I didn't even know just how big the gap was until this past week.”

Elain took a deep, shaky breath. Although he could understand it somehow, since he hadn't told Tyra everything up front either, it wasn't a valid excuse.

“And what do you expect me to think of you now? When did you plan on telling me that little detail?”

“I thought,” Tyra stumbled a bit. “I thought, well, I was planning to tell you after graduation. I was hoping that if I had at least graduated, then....” But Tyra couldn't finish because he wasn't entirely certain what he'd been hoping for. Could anything, even a high school diploma, have made this any better?

“Then what? That I would be able to see you as an adult then? Forests, Tyra, it's not that easy! One may become an adult overnight in the eyes of the law, but being mature is a completely different thing! Yes, you have proven yourself quite mature or else I would have realized it sooner, but keeping this from me... YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME!” Too late Elain realized that he had been shouting.

“I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to do! Look, I'm sorry I kept it from you, but I just didn't feel like I could tell you because I didn't feel like I was ready to let it—”

Tyra froze. He couldn't say the last word because he couldn't bear to say the word end right now.

Elain looked at him, his eyes invisible behind the glasses reflecting the computer monitors.

“So you intended to keep this little game up since I was so stupid to play along. Nice plan, really. And you could end it anytime by just telling me the truth. How convenient.”

Tyra felt as if Elain had just slapped him. “Game? You have to believe me, this wasn't a game! I'm serious, Elain. I'm serious about you. And fuck no, there was nothing convenient about it. All I wanted was to be with you, but no matter which way I decided to do things, I was going to end up shooting myself in the foot. Not exactly what I'd call convenient, you know?”

Tyrallin's voice sounded so honest, so desperate, that for an instant Elain was inclined to believe him. He wanted to believe it, wanted to forgive Tyrallin for keeping this from him.

But deep inside him a wave of memories started to drown his mind, gripping his heart with an icy hand.

Honest, good-looking faces, desperate pleas to forgive, promises of love and devotion in the face of obvious betrayal. Then those faces turned into cold masks, smirking at him, whispering.

“No, really, I like you. It's just that I'm still in love with my ex. Can we continue to be good friends?”

“Please believe me! I didn't mean to hurt you, it's just... I guess I still prefer girls.”

“It was fun while it lasted. Did you really think this was serious? You're so naive, Elain.”

Oh yes, so naive.

“It doesn't matter,” Elain whispered. “At the moment I can't believe a word you say, Tyrallin. And I can't ever again.”

Tyra felt his face fall. Gods, this can't be happening, he thought.

“Elain, you don't mean that,” Tyra insisted. “I know, I know you're really angry right now, and you have every right to be. I covered up about my age and deliberately kept it from you, and I'm sorry. That doesn't mean we can't work this out. Elain, please.” Tyra took a step toward him, desperate for some sort of contact and reassurance.

But Elain shook his head. “There's nothing to work out. I won't sink so low as to let myself be lulled by any empty promises a kid like you might make. I don't want to repeat myself, and I don’t ever want to see you again. It's finished, Tyrallin. Now please wait here a few moments and then leave. “

He turned around and opened the door again. A few more people were standing in the antechamber, turning their heads as Elain exited the staff room.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it's alright,” Elain said loudly. “There has been a minor misunderstanding about the guest list, but now everything is back in order. I apologize for any inconvenience. Please return to the lounge. I'll be making the reception speech in a few minutes.”

For a moment, Tyra stood right were Elain had left him, utterly shocked by Elain’s words. A sudden urge nearly had him running out into the lounge to grab Elain and demand he take back everything he’d said, but Tyra froze in place with his hand on the door handle. Tyra had heard what Elain had said to the crowd, and he was beginning to awaken to the fact that they must have caused a scene and attracted unwanted attention. He was utterly trapped. He couldn’t go out there and cause even more embarrassment for Elain.

He had absolutely no choice right now. He had to do as Elain had told him and leave.

Tyra turned around and put his back to the door and slowly sank down it until he was curled in a sitting position, and he buried his head in his arms. And there he stayed for ten minutes, fifteen, twenty, just listening to the blood rushing in his ears, listening to the faint murmurs of happy people on the other side of the door.

When he was sure enough time had passed, he quietly slipped out of the lounge and then out of the building. Driving home, he gripped the steering wheel hard to still the shaking of his hands.

As he pulled up in front of his home, he noticed that his sire’s car was in the driveway, and all the lights were on. Through the big window, he could see silhouettes moving in the living room. For a long time, he simply sat in his car in the street.

What could he possibly tell his parents? His father had been furious with him already without even knowing what had been going on. If Lissem knew the whole story, he surely wouldn't speak to Tyra for the next weeks.

But it was no use; he had to go in there and face his parents if he didn't want to be hauled in by his ear like a criminal.

As soon as Tyra had left his car and taken a few steps toward the house, the door opened and Feadri peeked out. “Tyra? Forests, don't come in here! I'll… hmpf!” The young lifebearer was interrupted by a hand clamping over his mouth. Seconds later, Detrallin appeared in the doorframe.

“You'd better come in, Tyra,” he said, his voice betraying no anger, just bemusement.

Tyra trudged into the house and walked past his sire and brother. He went straight to the living room, where his father was standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Tyra unbuttoned his vest and threw himself into the love seat. His sire followed him into the room, as did Feadri.

“Go to your room, Feadri,” said Detrallin.

“But I—” A look from Detrallin quelled whatever protest Feadri was about to make. “Okay, I’ll go.” The young lifebearer departed after he gave his brother a quick, worried look.

Lissem opened his mouth, but before he could start to give Tyra an earful, Detrallin said, “If he deserves it, you can yell at him later all you want, love. But first I think Tyra should get a chance to tell us what this was all about. I'm absolutely confused here, and I want to know what's going on.” He looked at his son. “Well?”

Tyrallin looked away from his parents and just stared at the mug and empty plate and magazines resting on the coffee table for a few seconds. Then he shrugged and told the story.

“I met Elain at the Bowzer concert in March. I decided to pursue him, and we started dating. I figured out he was a little older, but I just... didn’t tell him how young I was. I only found out last week that he owns the Velvet Shadow and exactly how old he is.” He met his father’s eyes before continuing with the rest. “He invited me to be his official date tonight, and the mix up happened, and now he knows I’m eighteen. He dumped my sorry ass and says he doesn’t want to speak to me again. There, that’s it. That’s what’s going on.”

Silence reigned the room as his parents just looked at him in disbelief and consternation. Lissem finally found his voice again.

“What on Wyndrah were you thinking? You can't just date someone and not tell him something like this! And why didn't you tell us that you were dating?”

“Look, I know, I know, alright?” Tyra said desperately. “I didn’t do anything right, and now everything’s gone to hell, and I’m sorry, and it isn’t good enough, and there’s nothing more I can say!”

Detrallin crossed his arms. “Well, there's no use crying over spilled milk. I can understand that you wanted to keep that from us since we tend to be overprotective and would have advised you to find someone closer to your age. But I know you, Tyra; you're not the type to throw yourself head over heels into something unless it’s something you really want to go for. And we can hardly accuse you for liking this lifebearer. However, you have to deal with the consequences now. Lissem said you're grounded until further notice, and I agree. But you absolutely have to go and apologize.”

“Of course I’m going to apologize!” Tyra said. “I tried to apologize tonight, but he didn’t want to hear it. He’s…” In Tyra’s mind, he saw an image of Elain’s face as he yelled at him. There was anger there, and it ran very, very deep. “I’ll try again in a couple of days. Is that all?”

His sire nodded. “I'm not proud of you today, Tyra, but I see that you're accusing yourself far worse than we ever could, so I'll leave it at that.”

Lissem gave his mate a confused look, then he sighed. “Okay, I'm not yelling anymore. But just so you know, young sire, I still have some very strong urges to hang you up by your ears for behaving like that tonight! Now you’d better go to bed.”

Without another word to his parents, he went upstairs to his room. He didn’t bother to turn on the lights, but simply shut the door, took off his shoes, and climbed into bed fully clothed. He curled up on his side and put a pillow over his head.

After a few minutes, he heard a tentative tap on the door. He lifted the pillow in time to hear Feadri saying, “Tyra? Wanna talk?”

Tyra stared out his window at the night sky. Eventually he responded. “Not tonight, Feadri. Go away.” After a short pause, he heard the soft padding of retreating footsteps.

It was a long time before he was able to fall asleep that night.

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to explain a bit about seasonals and reproduction here since it might be confusing.   
> Although lashran can reach a lifespan of a few hundreds and even thousands of years, lifebearers are usually only fertile during their first 150 years, more or less. Usually the seasonals or heat are the only time when they are able to conceive a child. Depending on the individual, they can go into seasonals multiple time a year or just once in a few decades (although it's possible to get a lifebearer into seasonals on demand thanks to medical advance). This is also the reason why there are so much less lashran than humans.
> 
> Some other important things about lashran biology: lifebearers produce eggs like men and sires produce sperm, so it's important to mix fluids and then get them inside the lifebearer - they don't get pregnant like women with simply getting some sperm inside them. That's also the reason why lifebearers' release tastes sweet and not salty. The actual incubation time is shorter than a human's (seven months, I think) and the lashran babies are very tiny. They are also born with all their baby teeth so they don't need any nursing.  
> As you can see, Xenobia made quite an effort for believable mpreg here, and that's one of the reasons Phen and I love her world so much ^^


	12. Chapter 12

Elain started the next morning with a massive headache and a severe wish to stay in bed and never get up again. But he had work to do, and he knew that if he just lay around and moped, it would never get better. He had tried it in the past, and it had only gotten worse.

After a few cups of strong coffee and some headache medicine, he was ready to brave the growing pile of documents on his desk. Most were about the charity event yesterday. Although Elain was glad that the party had raised such a big donation sum, he felt a sharp sting of hurt whenever he thought about it. Elain had no idea how he had endured the rest of the evening after his reception speech. Now it seemed like a hazy blur of faces, polite talk, and false smiles.

And he had really looked forward to yesterday evening...

A sharp knock on the door pulled Elain out of his dark thoughts. “Yes?”

Marithia came in, hair in disarray, her eyes blazing. “Did you take a look at the newspapers already?” she asked.

“No, but...”

“Well, what do you think of this?” She slapped a batch of newspapers on his desk.

On top of it lay the “Avras Daily Mirror”, one of he worst tabloid press papers in the country. The front page was one big picture: Tyrallin, whose face wasn't in clear view, holding Elain's wrist. The headline proudly announced in bold letters, “Scandal at the annual charity party! Velvet Shadow's elusive owner caught in a fight with his lover!”

Elain quickly took a look at the next newspaper. It was sporting a similar picture, but now Tyrallin's face was in clear view. The headline was even more damning: “High school boy and club owner: no match made in heaven!”

Elain closed his eyes. He didn't need to look at the last two newspapers to know that they sported similar headlines.

“It looks like your days of hiding from the press are a thing of the past,” Marithia said. “They're going to be all over you after this.” Marithia picked up one of the papers and looked at it. “I just can't believe Tyra was only eighteen. Hey, you okay, boss?”

“No, I'm not.” Elain took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The headache was evolving into a migraine. “Forests, what a mess. I need to make a press statement, or the club's image will be ruined.”

A small frown appeared between Marithia's brows. “I wasn't asking how you are professionally. How are you personally, Elain? That had to be a big shock.”

“It was, and I feel worse than I've ever felt before,” Elain told her quietly, not looking at her. “There I thought I had found the one perfect sire on Wyndrah because he's different from all the rest, but that's because he's practically still a child and just hadn't enough time to grow up to be like all the others. But despite that I might have given it a chance... if he had just told me.”

Marithia let out a slow sigh. “I was really clear about it when I told him to be honest with you. Considering all the press nightmares we're going to have to deal with now, I should have taken him by the pointy ear and screamed it at him. Want me to ask Conroy to call your public relations rep on my way out, boss?”

“Yes, please. And Marithia?” Elain finally looked up at her. “This was the last time for good. If you ever see me talking to a sire again in more than business-like fashion, find an excuse to get me away from him immediately. I'm serious.”

Marithia's face fell, but she reluctantly nodded her head. “Whatever you say, Elain.” She left the room, muttering curses under her breath as she went.

Elain took a last, disdainful look at the newspapers before he put them aside. Now it was up to the PR rep to find a good way to clear things up. Luckily, the Velvet Shadow had a very good PR rep, but there had never been so much dust to settle before.

A few minutes later, Conroy called, telling Elain that the PR rep was on her way. Since the briefing with her would likely take the rest of the morning, Elain grabbed another cup of strong coffee and tried to see the whole thing strictly from the professional side.

But he couldn't. Any minor gossip in the press would have merited not even a shrug from him, but the main problem was that everything was true. And Elain couldn't even claim that he hadn't known that Tyrallin was only eighteen because nobody would believe him. In this day and age, it just needed a few clicks through the Internet to find out almost anything about a person, but Elain had just... trusted Tyrallin.

And that had been the biggest mistake.

Elain left his office, trying to ignore the sharp throbbing in his head — and the even sharper pain in his heart.

~*~

Tyra spent the weekend holed up in his room. He came out only when he needed to, and then he went back to his room.

On Saturday, Sally came over with excitement in her eyes, hoping to hear wonderful stories from the party, but Tyra only summarized what had happened and then asked her to let their other friends know. He also asked that she and the others leave him alone for the weekend. He needed solitude to think.

Over the course of the weekend, he sat down at his computer dozens of times to write to Elain. He typed email after email, and he saved them all without sending them. It was too soon to even attempt to send any of them.

When Monday came around, he and Feadri and Sally piled into his car and headed to school. It was an unusually subdued ride — normally they chatted and joked on the way. Sally and Feadri tried a few times to lighten the atmosphere, but awkward silence always descended upon them again.

However, when they reached the school, Feadri piped up quickly. “Hey, what are those people doing there? Are those reporters? Some of them have cameras and microphones!”

Sure enough, just outside the main gate to the school, a group of people were waiting and eagerly looking around at passing cars and students. Some of the people wore suits and carried mics, and some were carrying pads of paper and pens.

“Tyra, I have a bad feeling about this,” Sally said glumly. “Maybe you’d better park somewhere else?”

Tyra had no time to answer, however. Some of the reporters were already looking in their direction, and one of them pointed at the license plate of Tyra's car. Seconds later, they were all heading toward the three friends.

“I can't really turn around now. Hold on,” Tyra said. He sped up and turned in through the gate to the school, which the reporters didn't pass through. Tyra supposed there were probably legal restrictions.

Tyra wondered whether he'd find them waiting for him at his house when he got home.

The young sire drove past the empty parking spots that were still available near the main gate and headed for the back lot. However, he couldn't find any available spaces in that parking lot. He drove back to the main lot and found a parking spot as far away from the front gate as possible.

Despite his efforts, though, as soon as he stepped out of the car, the reporters began shouting questions at him.

“Tyrallin, would you please look at the camera?”

“Mr. Alwick, how long have you known Mr. Silvestri? Is it true that you were planning to bond?”

“Just a few questions, Mr. Alwick!”

“Tyrallin, is that your girlfriend?”

The last question was directed at Sally, who managed not to look at the reporters. She stayed close to Tyra while Feadri grabbed his brother's hand. Just before they reached the building entrance, Tyra's homeroom teacher came out of the door. He looked a bit flustered.

“Oh, Mr. Alwick! There you are. The principal wants to see you in his office immediately.”

Tyra made a small wince. “Can I at least put my stuff in my locker first?”

However, his teacher shook his head. “Better not. He was adamant that he wanted to see you as soon as possible. Go on to the office, and be sure to get a permission slip to take to your first class. You'll probably be late.”

“Got it,” Tyra said. He said his farewells to Sally and Feadri, who gave him sympathetic looks that made him want to scream with frustration.

He didn't need sympathy. He needed to talk to Elain.

He headed to the principal's office, and the secretary at the front desk waved him through.

The school principal sat behind his desk, frowning. He was a stern, no-nonsense man, and Tyra knew him all too well since he had often been called here, mostly because his teachers had been fed up with him wanting to prove his point at all costs, but he feared that he was now receiving the lecture of his life.

 

“Mr. Alwick, take a seat. I guess you already know why I wanted to see you. As a pupil of this school, you have a certain responsibility...”

Tyra didn't really listen. Like a criminal standing his trial he sat there, hoping it would be over soon.

The principal lectured him on this and that. Really, it was almost everything he had already heard from Elain and from his parents, but with a focus on Tyra's connection with the school, how his actions reflect on Blue Ridge High, and proper behavior as a student and young sire. Eventually, the principal slowed down and paused to look at Tyra. “Do you comprehend the gravity of the situation, young sire?”

Tyra nodded and replied with “I regret my actions, and I'm very seriously considering my errors, sir. I'm going to do everything I can to make amends.”

The principal sighed and sat back heavily in his leather chair. “Very well. Go on, Mr. Alwick, get to class. And I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to call you in here. Think you can make it from now until graduation?”

Tyra gave a half shrug. “I'll do my best, sir.”

“Good. Now off you go.”

Tyra got up from the chair and left the principal's office. The secretary gave him a permission slip, and then Tyra made his way to the lockers. The hallways where deserted because classes had started already. Tyra opened his locker, unpacked his bag, and took the books he needed for his next class. He was in no hurry to get there, however.

But he couldn't stall indefinitely. With a deep breath, Tyra opened the door to his classroom. Immediately, twenty pairs of eyes locked on him, giving him sympathetic, pitiful, curious, amused, or snide looks.

He gave the permission slip to the teacher, who seemed supremely uninterested in the reason for his tardiness. He then went to his desk and sank down in the chair. Tyrallin resigned himself to getting through an agonizingly long day of school.

Over the course of the day, some of his classmates tried to approach him and ask about what was going on, but he avoided answering their questions and found excuses to escape conversation. When lunch time rolled around, he ate with his friends as usual, but he let the conversation drift over him and around him.

At the end of the day, he and Feadri and Sally met back at his car. Reporters still lingered outside the main gate.

Gladly they weren't so reckless as to jump into the car's way, but as Tyra drove by, the reporters shouted questions at him again.

“Damn those leeches! Isn't there a law against them harassing you?” Sally muttered under her breath.

Feadri shook his head. “No. They couldn't enter the school without permission, but here out on the street, we're fair game. I just hope they haven't found out where we live...”

Unfortunately, his hope was short-lived. When they reached the street where the Alwick's home was located, they could see at least a dozen reporters standing in front of the house. They hadn't entered the property, but Tyra had to get through them to reach the entrance of the house.

Sally sprinted for her own house the second she got out of the car. Tyrallin and Feadri got out, and Tyra ignored the reporter's questions, even the more personal and provocative ones, and he kept Feadri close to his side as they made their way to the house. The reporters followed them up the walk. When Tyra and Feadri were close to the house, Lissem opened the door for them and hurried them inside.

Once the door shut, Tyra turned to his father. “Dad, I am so sorry. I had no idea this would happen! They were at my school, too.”

Instead of shouting at him, Lissem hugged Tyra firmly. “I know, honey. Your principal called a few hours ago. I'm afraid all we can do now is lay low, do nothing and wait for them to lose interest — although I was severely tempted to throw some sharp objects at those reporters for scaring my children.”

Tyra felt himself relax a bit in his father's arms. “Thanks, dad.”

“I wasn't scared,” Feadri said. “In fact, I'll go give them an interview. I'll read them my latest biology report, and if that isn't enough, I'll start singing the periodic table song to them.”

Lissem grabbed Feadri by the arm. “Don't do that, darling! It's bad enough they're after Tyra, but I know those tabloid press guys. You tell them anything, and tomorrow you'll grace the front page instead of your brother!”

“Aww, come on, dad, I was only joking,” Feadri whined.

Lissem's mouth tightened into a thin line. “It's not really a joking matter, dear.”

“Beloved?” Detrallin called out. “Can you bring the kids into the living room for a little chat?”

“Of course,” Lissem responded. “Come on, you two, family meeting right now, and then, Feadri, you're helping me cook dinner.”

Oh, gods, not another lecture, Tyra thought, but he dutifully followed his father into the living room.

It was indeed a rare occasion to see his sire at home during a weekday, but Tyra figured that since Detrallin's big project was finished, his sire could allow himself some free time.

“Sire, can't you chase those reporters away?” Feadri asked hopefully.

“No, I'm afraid not. I have to keep myself out of it, or my company will get trouble. I know it sounds heartless, but I won't help Tyra by causing even more reasons for them to haunt us.”

“But there's another matter we wanted to talk about with you,” Lissem said, sitting down on the couch. “Come on, sit down, you two. I sure you'll be happy to hear this.”

Feadri perked up and bounced onto the couch. “Really? What's up, dad?”

Tyra tried to summon some enthusiasm, but he discovered that it was beyond him at the moment. He settled for flopping down on the couch next to Feadri and letting his little brother cover for his own lack of interest.

Detrallin came to Lissem's side. Lissem smiled up at his mate before looking at his two children again. “Well, I had a little trip to the doctor's office last Friday morning, and he was able to confirm it for me: I'm pregnant, so pretty soon we're going to have a new little face around the house. I hope you'll both be willing to lend a hand every now and then.”

Tyra was taken aback. Of course, it wasn't too shocking, but he'd heard his father discuss returning to work on more than one occasion in the past year. “That's great,” Tyra said, although he couldn't quite inflect the eagerness he knew he should have. “Of course we'll help.”

“Of course! A cute little brother for me to cuddle? That's so great, dad!” Feadri cheered, beaming at his parents. “Then I won't be the baby in the family anymore.”

“That doesn't mean you'll be allowed anything moreeverything from now on,” Lissem warned him jokingly. “But I'm so glad to hear that you're happy, dear. But Tyra, honey, you don't look too thrilled.”

“No, no, I'm happy. Feadri's gotten too smart, and he's catching onto my pranks, so I need somebody new to pick on,” he joked, trying to reassure his father, although his heart really wasn't in it.

His parents seemed like they wanted to say something, but before they could, he asked, “Is it okay if I go to my room? There's something I want to do before dinner.”

“Yes, of course,” Lissem said. “Feadri, let's make some really nice dinner. I want to celebrate a bit, and those nasty reporters out there won't keep us from having a nice evening, right?”

“Right! But I hope you're not already in that phase of pregnancy where you want to eat chocolate together with dill pickles. Urgh.” Feadri shuddered.

Lissem laughed. “No, not yet. But I remember that you, little imp, made me eat cookies with mustard. When your sire caught me eating that in the middle of the night, he was inclined to morning sickness himself.”

Detrallin wrinkled his nose. “I remember.”

Tyra caught only the first part of that conversation. He was already on his way to his room. As much as he wanted show the happiness about the prospect of getting another sibling, he just couldn't do it.

When he reached his room, Tyra sat down in front of the computer. He opened his email program and started a new message to Elain. For a long while, he simply stared at the blank screen. Eventually he began to type.

Dear Elain,

I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. At the same time, I didn't want to miss out on the chance to get to know you.

Please, if you can forgive me, I'd really like a second chance. This time we really do have everything out in the open. Just give me a chance, and I swear I'll make it up to you.

Yours,  
Tyra

For a while, he looked over his message. He read it a few times. He switched “Yours” to “Sincerely” and then changed it back to “Yours” again. The message itself wasn't enough, but what he truly needed was a chance to talk to Elain in person and apologize properly. He couldn't ask for that yet but if he could at least establish communication....

“Tyra! Dinner's ready!”

Tyra quickly clicked the Send Email button before he could talk himself out of it.

“Be right down, dad!”

~*~

Elain got the email on the next day. As soon as he opened his email program, it was there, the sender address catching his eye immediately amidst all the others. Elain hesitated for a few moments, then he selected the message and read it.

Those few, simple lines hurt, and Elain could almost feel the desperation in them. He almost clicked the Reply button, but then he just shut down the program completely. He had no idea what to say, and so it was better if he didn't write anything back at all. It wasn’t exactly polite, but Elain wanted to spare himself any more grief.

Before Elain could sink any deeper into his torturing thoughts, a knock on his door resounded through his office.

“Yes?”

It was Conroy. Elain's normally unaffected secretary looked deeply worried as he put a pile of tabloid newspapers and printouts from online gossip sites on the desk. “Sir, I'm afraid things are getting even worse.”

Frowning, Elain took a look at the headlines and paled.

“Charity event host under suspicion of fraud,” the first read. The next was no better: “The country's most famous club embezzling money?”

“Sir,” said Conroy, “the PR rep is struggling to keep up. She was here until ten o'clock last night, and she came in at seven this morning. Shall I assign her a temporary assistant?”

“Yes, give her all the assistance and money she needs,” Elain told him. Now that the initial shock was over, fury overtook him. “And I want to know where those rumors come from! I also want a statement from an independent surveyor to prove that we're not embezzling any donation money whatsoever!”

“Right away, sir,” Conroy replied. “Also, you should know, we've been having a lot of calls from press sources, legitimate ones as well as the less savory kind, requesting personal interviews with you. You're scheduled to meet with the PR rep today at eleven o'clock, and she wanted me to inform you in advance that she's going to advise you to give an exclusive interview to a media source of her choosing.”

Elain suppressed a groan. In dire situations like this, it was absolutely vital to come out and make a fearless statement, but he didn't like it one bit.

“Good, eleven o'clock. Any word from the charity organization yet? Or from our business partners?”

Conroy shook his head. “Not yet, sir. We'll call within the half hour if they don't beat us to it. Ah, well, and there's one more thing, sir.” Conroy shifted somewhat awkwardly. “Mr. Ashton called. He has scheduled a meeting with you here at one o'clock this afternoon.”

“Forests, not him today,” Elain sighed. “Why didn't you tell him I'm busy?”

Conroy winced. “I tried, sir, but he insisted that it be today. Do you want me to cancel it, sir?”

“No, that would be even worse. Now please take this trash away. I need some time to prepare.” Elain pointed at the tabloids. “And if anything else happens today that's not good news, wait until tomorrow before you tell me.”

“Yes, sir.” Conroy took the newspapers and left Elain's office.

Elain got up from his chair and started pacing back and forth. Obviously someone had taken the chance to drag the Velvet Shadow's good name through the mud even more by spreading these rumors about embezzling donation money. But why? What was to be gained here? There were no other clubs like the Velvet Shadow that could hope to lure members away. And Elain was quite sure he had no personal enemies.

Or had he?

Davaric Ashton wouldn't stoop so low, even if he was angry at Elain. But who else? Some small fish like that nasty couple of troublemakers that had been thrown out?

No, it had to be someone with more influence, or this rumor couldn't have been spread so quickly. And Elain was adamant about finding out who had done this.

At eleven o'clock, he met the PR rep in one of the conference rooms. Mrs. Walters was a smart-looking woman in her forties, the image of efficiency in her dark blue ladies' suit, plain hairdo, and stylish glasses.

“Mr. Silvestri, you have no small problem here, if I might say so,” she announced. “I know that you don't like to make public appearances, but this time it's absolutely necessary.”

“Yes, I know that,” he replied, taking a seat opposite her. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

Mrs. Walters adjusted her glasses. “You are going to give an exclusive interview to the Wyndrah Celebrity. It's the largest and most renowned society magazine, and since they publish weekly, they didn't have a chance yet to print any article about those unfortunate events happening here.”

Elain nodded. “I see. But do you think that will shut up the tabloid reporters?”

“Yes, of course. People trust a stylish glossy more than a newspaper in the long run. You'll make some clear, unemotional, and honest statements, and nobody will have any leverage again,” she replied.

“I guess there will be personal questions, too?” Elain especially dreaded those.

Mrs. Walters smiled slightly. “Don't worry. That's why I'm here.”

It took some hours before Elain and Mrs. Walters were content with the results of their plan, but finally they had agreed on everything. The PR rep called the Wyndrah Celebrity immediately, and the chief editor promised to send his best reporter the next morning. Since the magazine was published on Friday, it was perfect timing.

Elain managed to grab some lunch before he had to steel himself for his meeting with Davaric Ashton.

Promptly at one o'clock, Elain showed up in the conference room, where Davaric was already waiting for him. Davaric rose to greet him.

Elain, not in the mood for minding business etiquette, came directly to the point. “Mr. Ashton, what is the nature of this meeting? I hope you realize things are a little harried for me at the moment.”

Mr. Ashton, accustomed to Elain's abruptness, responded smoothly. “The meeting is twofold, really. I wanted to discuss a modification to our promotion project; I think the change will be quite beneficial to you because it will show a sense of humor about the situation and also show that you aren't the least bit intimidated by a few silly rumors. As such, I'd like to propose to you that we rework the promotion and title it ‘Intrigue.’” Mr. Ashton then paused and searched Elain's eyes for a moment. “I also wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine given the circumstances,” Elain told him. “So you propose that we use all this commotion for promotion purposes? I'm not sure if that's the best idea.”

“Before you say ‘no,’ let me show you the proposal I've had my people draw up,” Davaric said, and he opened a large leather case that held samples of the redesigned advertising campaign.

And so the meeting progressed, and Davaric presented his case for the last-minute change to the campaign. He made several points about the level of interest in the situation at the Velvet Shadow and the need to show a strong face to the public.

Elain agreed with him in that point, but he insisted that several things should remain the way they had originally decided. The rumors of embezzling money were offending on a personal level, not to mention the whole mess with Tyrallin, and he just wasn't so calloused as to use that to make more money.

Eventually the meeting came to a close as they finally reached an agreement about the promotional campaign. When the discussion came to a natural lull, Davaric took the opportunity to broach another subject that was on his mind.

“Elain, before we leave this meeting room, there's something I'd like to say. I know that you've said ‘no’ to me time and again for personal reasons, and I know that you're having a difficult time of it because of the relationship you had with that young sire,” Davaric said, “but please keep me in mind if you need someone to talk to. I'd be more than willing to listen. I've had more than one troubled relationship in the past, partly due to my position and growing up in the Ashton family. And perhaps later, when you're feeling better about things, you could reconsider my suit. Think about it, Elain. What we could have is a relationship between equals, based on respect and understanding. I could prove to you that I'm not that bad if you'd only give me a little bit of your time.” Davaric gave Elain a small, winsome smile.

For a moment, Elain was a bit stunned by those unusually direct words. He was so used to Davaric trying to lull him with compliments and promises that he had never expected words like “respect” and “understanding.” It sounded almost tempting...

Elain shook his head, almost angry at himself for being caught in such a weak moment. Of course Davaric was playing with him again.

“I really appreciate the offer,” he answered. “But I can assure you I'm through with relationships of any kind for the time being. If I ever change my mind, I'll make sure to tell you.”

Davaric gave him a nod. “Completely understandable, but I'll be happy to leave that offer on the table.” Davaric rose. “I suppose that concludes our business for today. I'll be heading back to my own office now, and I wish you luck in the next few days.”

“Thank you.” Elain got up from his seat as well. “Let's hope for the best. But I'm sure our new campaign will be a success.”

“Of course,” Davaric agreed. They shook hands, and the sire exited the conference room. Elain stayed there for a moment longer, thinking. He felt like everything he knew, everything he had control over, was slowly slipping away from him.

And he had to do something before it was too late.

 

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

For Tyrallin, the week following the charity party was long, irritating, and somehow extremely hollow. He just couldn't bring himself to enjoy the things he normally took so much pleasure in. His friends kept giving him worried looks and brief statements of encouragement, and at home his family seemed to have no idea how to interact with him. His classmates at first continued to try to pry the story out of him, but as he continued to deflect their questions, they slowly lost interest.

So, too, did the reporters seem to lose interest over time. They gradually dwindled, and eventually, when Friday morning rolled around, there were none.

However, as he came out of school Friday afternoon, they were back in force. It seemed there were suddenly more than ever before waiting outside his school for him. He hurried Sally and Feadri into the car and drove off, praying that they wouldn't also be at his house. However, his prayers were for naught because they were gathered there waiting for him.

“What's going on, Tyra?” Feadri asked before they got out of the car. “I thought they were giving up!”

“So did I,” Tyra replied sharply. “Come on, let's hurry inside.”

So together they rushed through the reporters, giving no comments, and made their way into the house.

“Dad!” Tyra shouted as soon as he closed the door. “What on Wyndrah is going on?”

Lissem came toward them, looking a bit frazzled. “Good to see you two made it in one piece! Those nasty reporters showed up soon after you left for school, and when I lost my patience, went out, and asked them why they were back to harass us, they gave me this.” Lissem held up a glossy magazine whose pages were already crinkled.

It was a copy of the Wyndrah Celebrity.

Tyrallin frowned. “Why, though? What does that have to do with anything?”

“There's an interview with Elain Silvestri inside,” Lissem said glumly, leafing through the magazine until he found the right page. “I'd like to spare you this, honey, but you'd better read it. I'm starting to get the impression that he was the one to lead you on.”

Tyra heard the unhappiness in his father's voice and frowned in return. What the hell was going on? He dropped his backpack and took the opened magazine from his father and stormed into the living room. He was only vaguely aware that his father and brother hesitantly followed him and stood cautiously in the doorway to the living room.

He skimmed the article. Most of the questions seemed to be related to the nasty rumor regarding the charity money, which Tyrallin had read about earlier in the week. However, about midway through the interview, the questions changed.

\--------------------

Aside from these difficult business matters, you also seem to be dealing with some rather intense personal problems at the moment. At the same charity event, you had a rather public fight with the young sire, Tyrallin Alwick. Is it true that you're in a relationship with him?

\- First, I'd like to apologize to everyone who was present that evening and had to witness that unfortunate incident. It is true that I had certain connection to Tyrallin Alwick, but whatever relationship we had is finished.

So you were indeed conducting a relationship with him despite the fact that he's eighteen years old. Are you typically interested in sires that age?

\- No, I'm not. This was a one-time mistake.

So I take it the relationship was never very serious?

\- Yes. I would hardly call it a relationship at all. I know there have been rumors stating something different, but I can assure you and everyone reading this that those rumors are wildly exaggerating the truth.

\-------------------------

At that point, Tyra couldn't read any more. He turned so that his back was to his father and brother because his eyes were starting to burn as the frustration and anger and disappointment welled up inside him to make one huge, nasty, roiling emotion in his gut. He wanted to hurl the magazine across the room or take it between his hands and rip it to shreds. Instead, he simply folded it and dropped it on the couch.

“I'll,” Tyra started to say, but his throat closed up, and he had to clear it. “I'll be in my room. I have a big history project to finish tonight, and I don't have time for dinner.”

“Tyrallin, honey,” Lissem said, and Tyra turned back to him to see that he was coming forward with an outstretched hand.

He gently brushed that hand away and moved past his father. “I've got homework to do,” he said simply. He went to the front hallway, scooped up his backpack, and went upstairs and shut his door.

Then he sat down on the edge of his bed, put his head in his hands, and let the angry tears fall silently.

~*~

Tyra buried himself in his room that Saturday and didn't even come down for the meals. Just as Lissem was getting really worried about his son getting sick from all the emotional stress, Tyra showed up Sunday morning for breakfast. He was looking pale, however, with dark circles under his eyes that indicated he hadn't been sleeping much.

“Good morning, darling!” Lissem greeted him with a warm smile. “I made pancakes, and you won't get up from the breakfast table until you've eaten at least two of them, you hear me?”

Tyra gave him one stiff nod without meeting his eyes and then sat down at the table without any argument. He pulled two pancakes onto his plate and began to butter them. His eyes felt heavy and tired, but he resisted rubbing at them. When he took the first bite of his pancakes, he could hardly taste a thing.

“Thanks for breakfast, dad,” he mumbled between bites.

Lissem took a seat opposite him and poured himself a cup of tea. “Your sire took Feadri out to the new science exhibition, by the way, so it's just you and me today. I was hoping we could talk a bit.”

Tyra paused in his chewing for a second before he continued and swallowed. “Whatever you want,” he replied with a one-shouldered shrug before taking another bite.

Gently, Lissem took his son's free hand. “I don't want to pressure you, honey. But burying yourself in your room and brooding just isn't healthy. I want to help you.”

“I came out,” Tyra pointed out. He knew he was being difficult, but he couldn't seem to stop himself at the moment. “Besides, there's no point in staying up there. So don't worry about it. And you don't have to worry about me seeing Elain ever again. But it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to apologize. Elain blocked me from his email or deleted that account, and it looks like he discontinued the phone number I had for him.” Tyra extracted his hand from his father's hands and continued eating his pancakes.

“Really? That's strange. But I'm really starting to think that you don't need to apologize. What he said in that interview was so incredibly cruel! I mean, you wouldn't be this upset if he didn't mean very much to you.”

Tyra clenched his jaw so hard that it ached. “I thought he felt the same way, but I guess I was wrong.” He put his fork down with a soft clink. “I know I'm grounded, but would it be okay if I went out with Jerrik today? He invited me to come watch his training session with Stonetown.”

“I think so. But you have to call Jerrik to take you with him and bring you back later since your car is off limits for anything but trips to school and back. But maybe it'll help to get your mind off all those nasty things. You deserve someone who loves you as much as you love him.” Lissem gave his son a kiss on the temple. “And you will find him, I know it.”

Tyra briefly went stiff under Lissem's show of affection, but then he relaxed as if the fight had left him. “Thanks, dad,” he said, and he got up to clear his dishes and put them in the sink. “I'll go give Jerrik a call now. The training is for four hours this afternoon, so I'll be gone for a while.” He then gave his father a half-hearted little wave and left the kitchen.

Lissem's worried gaze followed him. He had never seen Tyra so crestfallen, so hurt, and it pained Lissem to see his beloved child like this. Lissem had been hoping for the past two years that Tyra would find a nice boyfriend soon, but this... it was so unfair and callous to do this to such a young sire.

Lissem wasn't the most patient lifebearer on Wyndrah, and he couldn't just watch and do nothing if anybody dared to hurt his children. But at the moment he could just hope that Tyra would come around on his own in time.

~*~

The following week passed slowly, and Tyra continued to follow his normal high school routine, and his father and the other members of his inner circle continued to watch him closely. Tyra socialized a little more freely now, but he was much subdued compared with the days before the scandal.

On Friday, two weeks after the charity party at the Velvet Shadow, Tyra received a letter from Dalling. He sat down on the couch to read it, expecting information about the architectural program, but what he found was completely unexpected. He leapt up from the couch and ran into the kitchen, where his father and sire were fixing dinner together.

“My scholarship is being reviewed!” he exclaimed. He slammed the letter down on the table. “They're saying they have to review it and take into consideration 'matters of personal conduct and possible moral conflicts with the standards and expectations of the university.' This is bullshit!”

“What?” Lissem nearly dropped the soup ladle. “They can't do that!”

Detrallin took the letter and carefully read it, his frown deepening with every moment. “Yes, they can do this, love, but I highly doubt that was their idea. I guess the university got some pressure from their sponsors.”

Tyra put both hands into his spiked hair and hollered. “Oh my gods! I can't believe this is happening! All because of that incident I'm going to get reamed over and over? I fucked up, but I don't deserve this!” Tyra yelled again, letting loose a loud, wordless sound of aggravation, and stomped into the living room, where he shouted yet again.

Lissem wanted to go after him, but Detrallin gently held him back and shook his head. “Just let him get that out of his system, love. When he's calmed down, we can sit down and think about what we can do.”

It was about ten or fifteen minutes later, and after several more frustrated shouts and pounding of helpless couch cushions, that a more subdued Tyra came into the kitchen.

He flopped into a chair at the kitchen table with a scowl on his face. “First step is calling the university and asking for more specifics about what they're reviewing, right?”

His parents nodded.

“After that, you should make an appointment with the head dean and go talk to him personally,” Detrallin said. “I'll come with you.”

“Okay,” Tyra replied. “Is it too late to call today, do you think? It's after five o'clock on a Friday.”

“You should try anyway, and if nobody's there, try again on Monday morning,” Detrallin suggested. “Meanwhile you should browse through the university's web site and look up the exact conditions for reviewing a scholarship. It's best to be prepared.”

Tyrallin picked up the phone from its place near the kitchen door and took the letter from the university as well. “I'll try to call right now and then hop on the web for a while before dinner.” He left the kitchen to go conduct his business on the living room couch.

Detrallin turned to his spouse with a hard look in his eyes. “Don't worry, beloved. We'll get it straightened out. He will go to the college of his choice, and we'll get the scholarship straightened out.” Detrallin sighed. “If things keep going this way and he keeps taking these blows and rolling with the punches like the pro he is, we might have to let up with the grounding sooner than planned.”

“I agree. He's suffering enough as it is, and we have to help him in any way we can. But I would never have thought that this whole mess would drag this far. It's almost as if someone has a personal grudge against Tyra,” Lissem remarked darkly. He already had a suspicion about who was behind all this, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Detrallin wrapped his arms around his bondmate and bent his head down to rest his cheek against Lissem's hair. “Seeing what he's going through reminds me to be grateful that I have you, Lissem. You and our family.” Detrallin put a hand on Lissem's lower abdomen. briefly and then gave him an affectionate kiss.

“I know what you mean. But I can't be happy when I see my children suffering,” Lissem said softly. “He's such a good, kind-hearted boy and doesn't deserve to be treated like this. I really wish he'd never gone to that damn club.”

Detrallin sighed and gave Lissem a quick kiss on the shoulder. “I understand. And the pasta is about done. What do you say we focus on dinner for now and continue this discussion about how to handle Tyra afterward?”

“You're right. Nobody ever had any brilliant ideas on an empty stomach.” Lissem sighed and went back to his cooking. “Can you take a look into the living room to see if Tyra's still on the phone?”

“Of course, beloved,” Detrallin said, and he left the kitchen.

As Lissem started putting the finishing touches on dinner for the evening, he had just one clear thought in mind: He would have to pay a visit to Elain Silvestri and demand to know whether he had in fact used his position and influence to negatively affect Tyrallin's scholarship out of spite. He wasn't sure how he would be able to maintain his composure when facing the lifebearer who had broken his son's heart, but with Tyra's scholarship on the line, Lissem was determined to find a way.

~*~

Monday found the Alwick family in a grim mood. Tyra had indeed managed to reach Dalling on Friday afternoon, but the secretary on the other end of the line had been very vague and evasive about his questions. The university's web site had been equally uninformative with a lot of talk about tradition and responsibility, but there were no hard facts to work with. It seemed like the head dean could just decide on a whim who was proper enough to attend the university and who was not. But that was something Tyra's parents weren't about to accept.

So Detrallin grabbed the phone on Monday morning, calling the head dean's office to make an appointment. It took some patience and some sharp words until the snobby secretary agreed to even look at the head dean's datebook, but Detrallin finally managed to get an appointment for Thursday before he had to leave for work.

Meanwhile, Lissem pulled out his most conservative and businesslike suit out of his closet and prepared himself to storm the Velvet Shadow. He had no idea if he even had a chance of meeting with Elain, but his new membership card should help get him onto the premises.

He arrived at the Velvet Shadow in the early afternoon. There were no lines of waiting guests at the entrance and only one bouncer. Lissem showed him his new gold membership card. The awaited present from his mate had turned out to be two one-year memberships to the Velvet Shadow rather than a spa trip, and he'd been delighted with the present at the time, but since the charity party, Lissem wasn't very happy about it anymore.

~*~

Elain was in his office, trying to write polite and apologizing letters to the club members who still considered backing out of their membership. Since it was a grueling task, he was almost relieved when his phone rang.

It was Conroy. “Sir, I have one of our gold members here, asking for an appointment.”

“Please send him to my office,” Elain replied and mentally prepared himself for some more apologizing.

Across the long room of his office, the door opened and admitted a smartly dressed lifebearer. Elain was just about to rise to go shake his hand and offer him a seat on his leather couch, but then the lifebearer stepped into the light, and Elain recognized him from the charity party.

It was Lissem Alwick. He approached with grace, and he carried a leather-bound folder at his side. His features were expressionless. Lissem stopped in front of Elain's desk.

“Thank you for agreeing to see me, Mr. Silvestri,” he said with little inflection in his words.

If Elain had known who exactly wanted to see him, he would have declined, but now it was too late.

“Please take a seat, Mr. Alwick. What can I do for you?” Elain asked politely.

Lissem sat in one of the stiff leather chairs and put his folder primly in his lap. “First of all, I'd like to know whether you're familiar with anyone of importance at Dalling University,” Lissem said.

Elain raised an eyebrow. “Dalling University? If I recall correctly, some of the department deans are members here, but I only briefly met them. Would you care to explain why you want to know about this?”

Upon hearing of the connection, Lissem narrowed his eyes. “Actually, there's something I'd like you to explain, Mr. Silvestri.” He pulled the letter about the scholarship review from his folder and rose to put it on Elain's desk. “My son's scholarship is suddenly in question. Now, I understand that the little scandal at the charity party was quite the public embarrassment, but there's no reason that a large university should take such a thing so far...at least not without some sort of outside pressure.”

Elain took up the letter and read it. Dalling was a renowned university, and only the best of the best could get a full scholarship for it. A letter like this could easily mean the end for Tyrallin's education plans.

“I'm afraid I have no idea how this could happen, and if you think I have something to do with it, you're mistaken,” Elain answered, giving Lissem the letter back. “Despite all those unfortunate events, I don't wish any harm upon your son.”

Lissem stiffened, but he accepted the letter and replaced it in his folder. “You'll have to pardon me if I find your words less than credible. Who else could have done this? This sort of thing takes power and influence, both of which you have in spades.”

Elain's eyes narrowed. “I would never stoop so low as to use my influence for petty revenge, Mr. Alwick. At the moment I have some severe problems myself with somebody wanting to discredit me and my club, and my guess is that the same person is behind it. If I could help you in any way, I would, but as you probably know, I have officially renounced any connection to your son.”

Saying this to Lissem Alwick wasn't easy. Elain still felt incredibly bad for telling the interviewer such cold things, but it had been the only way — even if Elain had been lying through his teeth most of the time.

“I am already painfully aware of that little fact, thank you very much!” Lissem snapped. His skin was prickling, and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck rising with his anger. “I suppose that this makes everything alright in your mind, doesn't it? It's fine to throw him to the wolves just as long as you can turn your back on the result and you don't have to see what happens next. Is that how it works, Mr. Silvestri? Whichever way it is, I just don't care. If you did this to my son, you're at fault. If someone who has it in for you did this to my son, it's still on your head.”

“I know, and for that I'm sorry. But none of this would have happened if Tyrallin had told me the truth from the beginning. Finding it out like this...” Elain took a deep breath, trying very hard not to show his hurt. “Nevertheless, I can assure you that I intend to find out who's behind this, and then I'm sure the university won't have any reasons to rescind your son's scholarship.”

Lissem felt his anger finally boil over. “How dare you, Mr. Silvestri? Honestly, how dare you? Not allowing Tyrallin to properly apologize was bad enough. Completely disavowing that you had a relationship with him was downright cruel. But to continue to lay the entire blame for the event at Tyrallin’s feet is, is, is, well, it’s outrageous, that’s what it is! I’m having trouble believing that you’re the adult and he’s the teenager.” Lissem took a sharp, steadying breath. “I want you to know that if this matter doesn’t get cleared up, I will pursue whatever means necessary to make sure he gets his scholarship.”

“I'm sorry, Mr. Alwick, but I'm afraid you don't understand. I really wish things were different, but I have the responsibility for this club, its members and its employees, regardless of any personal feelings. Do you really think this is what I wanted? If I could make it all undone, I would do so in an instant. But now we all have to do what we think is best.” Elain was severely tempted to tell Lissem the whole truth about how he felt, but he couldn't do it. It was better this way, and if Tyrallin hated him now, he might forget Elain more easily.

“Well, I suppose on that point we agree, because I’d be happy to have this all undone. That way my son would never have gotten his heart crushed and thrown aside by a callous bastard like you.” Lissem rose from his seat and took two gold membership cards from his folder and slammed them down on Elain’s desk. “These were a recent gift from my bondmate. Please see that they’re refunded.”

Elain flinched at Lissem's words. Of course the other lifebearer was right, and it hurt even more because Elain knew very well that his behavior was absolutely despicable. But it was for the best in the long run, and if either of them ever wanted to go back to their normal lives, it was necessary to make a clean cut.

“Of course,” Elain answered, trying hard to sound indifferent. “And even if you don't believe me: I'm sorry that Tyrallin has to suffer because of me. Please tell him… no, nevermind. Now if you excuse me, I have some work to do.”

Lissem stared at Elain for a long moment. He thought for an instant that he’d seen genuine pain in the other lifebearer’s eyes behind those expensive-looking glasses, but then the expression had vanished. The owner of the Velvet Shadow was an incredibly closed-off person from what Lissem could tell of him. How his open and vibrant son had ever managed to fall for someone like this, Lissem could only guess.

“Thank you for your time,” Lissem responded, not because he meant it, but because he simply couldn’t forget his manners.

He clutched his folder with a tight grip as he left the office. He would have to have a long talk with his bondmate when he got home.

Elain stared at the closing door, trying to get his composure back — and failing. Lissem Alwick's visit had firmly reminded Elain that he wasn't the victim here. On the contrary, he had done the same thing that had happened to him so often in the past — he had deliberately hurt Tyrallin. It didn't matter that this had been the right decision, that in the long run it was better for Tyrallin, too, not to get involved any further. And it wasn't truly the young sire's fault either since he just hadn't been able to see the consequences.

It was entirely Elain's fault for allowing it to come this far. Not only were his business and social standing at stake, but he might have also ruined Tyrallin's chance for a world-class education.

And why? Because deep down in his heart, Elain had wished for someone to fill the emptiness and loneliness in his life and finally help him escape this prison he had put himself in.

But that had been too much to ask.

With a tired gesture, Elain removed his glasses and put a hand over his burning eyes, desperately trying to hold back any tears. But he didn't succeed.

~*~

Wednesday evening of that same week, Marithia stood up from the desk in her office and gave her body a good long stretch. She picked up a small, wrapped box that was sitting on her desk. Then she turned out the lights and left her office, and she poked her head into her assistant’s cubicle. “Hey, Kendra, can you keep an eye on things here for me and check in at the bar a couple times tonight? I’m out for the rest of the evening.”

Kendra gave Marithia a brief wave without looking away from her computer screen. “Sure thing. I’ve got it covered.”

Marithia left the first floor business area and headed for the disco floor. It was a slow night, even for a Wednesday, so she only had to glance over the bar in passing and share a few brief words with the bartenders on duty. From there she took the elevator and rode it up to the tenth floor. Once she reached it, she went to Elain’s apartment door. She lifted a hand to knock, hesitated just a bit, and then rapped firmly on the door.

“Hey there, I’ve come to see the birthday boy!” Marithia said in a determinedly cheerful voice. She didn’t receive an answer. “Will you let me in if I promise not to sing?”

“Come in!” Elain called out to her after a moment. The apartment was only dimly lit, but Marithia had no problem spotting Elain on the couch. He was wearing a loose sweater, comfortable pants, and no glasses, and his usually impeccable hair was slightly mussed. A bottle of liquor stood in the table in front of him, and Elain held a half-full glass in his hand.

He looked at her with glazed eyes. “Marithia?”

“Oh my gods, what’s gotten into you?” she asked in amazement as she looked down and took in his uncharacteristic state of relaxation. She put the small wrapped gift on the table and picked up the bottle of liquor to examine it. “You’ve been drinking gin. A lot of it. Oh, please tell me you had a big dinner, Elain.”

“Dinner? Is it that late already?” Elain asked, sounding slightly slurred. “I didn't notice.”

Marithia shook her head slowly. “Elain Silvestri, you are a piece of work. Okay, here, give me the glass. That’s it for you right now,” she said as she held out her hand to receive the glass.

Elain looked back and forth between her and the glass for a moment before he gave it to her. “Why are you here?” he asked. “Am I not allowed to be drunk on my birthday?”

Marithia took the glass and finished the shot for him and then took the glass and bottle and went to the kitchen. She projected her voice so she could hear her next words. “I'm here to wish you a happy birthday, and you're already thoroughly drunk on your birthday, so whether it's allowed or not doesn't really matter.” She came back to him and took off her shoes before climbing onto the couch next to him and sitting cross-legged. “I can't even remember the last time I saw you drunk, Elain.”

Elain shot her a look. “Oh yes, you can, and so can I, and because of that I don't drink anymore. Today is an exception.” He almost stumbled over that word.

“Oh. Oh! Oh, shit, that's right. Sorry for bringing it up,” she said. She leaned against Elain and put her head on his shoulder. “Wanna talk?”

He sighed. “About what? That I'm totally at my wits' end? Or that I feel absolutely pathetic?”

“Either or both,” Marithia responded. “Why not start by telling me what drove you to drink for the first time in decades? At least you have good taste. That's some expensive gin.”

“What's money good for if I got drunk on something cheap?” Elain sighed again. “Lissem Alwick came to my office on Monday and told me that Tyra's scholarship is being reviewed. He suspected that I was behind it and chewed me out. And I deserved it.”

Marithia gave a small shrug. “But Tyra lied to you. Big time. And you said you wouldn't put up with any more liars. And you certainly didn't do anything to his scholarship. So what's the problem, honey?”

“It’s still my fault that he has these problems now,” Elain answered. “And even if he lied to me, he doesn't deserve this. Forests, Marithia, he's practically still a child! I should have known better. Can I get my gin back?”

“Nope, but I'd be willing to get you a glass of coffee or water,” she said primly. “And as for Tyra, he decided to play in an adult world with an adult, so don't you tell me he's a helpless, innocent sire. You aren't responsible for the entire world, you know.”

Velvet came sauntering up to them then, and she hopped onto the couch opposite Marithia and curled up against Elain's hip.

Elain stroked her soft fur, feeling the warmth and comfort of his feline companion's presence. “I know. And I'm still mad at Tyrallin because he lied to me. But that was something between the two of us, and the media had no right to expatiate on it.”

“The press just loves stuff like this,” Marithia said. “But you'll be okay in the long run, won't you? Just give it some time, and life will return to normal. It always does.”

“Yes. It always does.” Elain stared into the darkness of his living room. “I'll concentrate on my work, meet with business partners, eat, sleep. Every day, for the next few hundred years.”

Marithia angled her head awkwardly so she could pout up at him. “Ugh, when you put it that way, it makes me want to reach for the gin, too.” She put her head back down to the more comfortable position. “Nah, what we need to do is find you some hobbies and interests besides work. And considering how fat your pocketbook is, you can afford some nice hobbies.”

“Hobbies?” Elain snorted. “Like what? Golf? Tennis? Collecting expensive cars? No thanks.”

“There are others!” Marithia insisted. “What about scuba diving? Or learn an instrument? Or crochet?”

Elain looked a bit horrified. “Me in swimming trunks? Never! Also, most hobbies require socializing, and you saw where it got me.”

“Socializing doesn't necessarily mean dating, you know,” Marithia pointed out. “I'd like it if you had more friends, Elain. I worry about you, you know, up here in this tower of yours.”

That elicited a weak smile. “I have you, Marithia, and true friends are hard to come by. I'm grateful that you're this concerned, but I doubt going against my nature would make me any happier.”

Marithia, feeling quite peeved at him, picked up a couch pillow and swatted his chest with it. “So figure out something that is in your nature!”

“Reading, spending quiet evenings, that sort of thing.” Elain grabbed the expensive pillow to keep Marithia from abusing it any further and sighed again. “Problem is, I was perfectly content with my life before met Tyrallin. I... can't pretend nothing happened.”

“Why not? Just give it time, and you'll settle into things again,” Marithia reassured him. “It just takes time after a breakup. You know that.”

“Yes, I know. But... it was never this bad. Damn it, Marithia, I miss him.” Elain looked at her with sad eyes. “For a few weeks it was perfect, even if it was just an illusion. Maybe I just wanted to be lied to.”

“Oh, Elain,” Marithia said with a worried frown, and she took his face in her hands. “Why are you beating yourself up this badly, honey? It's not worth it. He's not worth it.”

“I know, I know. But I just can't help myself. I'm sorry for being this whiney,” Elain said softly, blinking away any tears that threatened to fall.

Marithia put her arms around Elain and rocked him gently. “So you're a wimpy drunk. Who cares? I'm the only one who'll ever know, and I promise to keep it a secret.”

“Thanks...” Elain closed his eyes and leaned in her warm embrace. It was good to know that at least one person on Wyndrah really cared about him.

They sat like this for some time until Elain felt at bit better. He finally pulled back and rubbed his eyes, feeling a bit less drunk than before. “So, you brought me a present again? You know you don't have to,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

“You know, it gets repetitive, you saying that same thing year after year. Tell a girl something she doesn't know already,” Marithia joked. She picked up the little box and handed it to him. “Here you go. Happy birthday, Elain.”

Elain opened the pretty wrapping paper to find a small gift box, inside of which was a soft felt jewelry box. He lifted the lid to find a pair of silver cuff links, each with a tiny sapphire inlaid.

“Wait, here's the cool thing,” Marithia said. She took the two cuff links and put them together like pieces of a puzzle. “Look! It's a kitty! And no one will know you're wearing silly cat cuff links but you.”

Now Elain couldn't help but smile. “Only you could pick such a gift. I promise to wear them to the most austere occasions.” He gave Marithia a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Thank you.”

Marithia smiled. “Anytime. Now, how about I fix you some dinner? I don't want you falling asleep without doing something about all that alcohol running around in your system.”

“I'm not really hungry, but eating something would be the sensible thing to do. But I'll be hangover tomorrow for sure.” Elain rubbed over his eyes again. “Forests, how much gin did I drink?”

“Looked like half of the bottle to me,” Marithia said with a wince. “Come on, you need to get up and drink some water while I cook.” She got to her feet and took Elain by the arm to haul him up.

He managed to stand, albeit a bit unsteadily, and followed Marithia to the kitchen. There he took out a large bottle of mineral water from the fridge and gulped some of it down without bothering with a glass.

“What would you like for dinner, birthday boy?” Marithia asked as she started checking out the cabinets and the fridge. “Or maybe I should ask what do you even have that I can cook? I keep forgetting how bare you keep your kitchen.”

“There should be risotto in the cupboard, and I'm sure there are some vegetables left,” Elain answered, hesitating. “I think.”

“There are some vegetables left.” Marithia pulled a moldy onion out of the fridge. “I just don't think you want to eat them.”

“That's because I was barely here for the last two weeks.” Elain took a look into the fridge as well and pulled out some other items that were clearly past their expiration date. “Shouldn't we just call the chef and get him to send us something up?”

Marithia nodded woefully. “I liked the idea of cooking a birthday dinner, but I think sticking with the chef might be best.”

Elain smiled slightly. “There will be plenty of birthdays when you can cook for me. Please be a dear and call the kitchen, will you?”

“Sure thing, boss!” Marithia responded, and she went into the living room to get the phone.

It didn't take long until the two were sitting at the dining table and tucking in to the delicious dinner the chef had sent up. Elain finally found some appetite and felt better with every bite. They didn't talk much, but the silent and comfortable companionability required no further conversation.

Marithia finally spoke up as they put down their forks and leaned back in their chairs with full bellies. “So, no crocheting?”

“No. But I could take up breeding cats. What do you think?” Elain managed a joke. “And if the dust has settled... I might do some bartending again. There's no excuse for getting rusty.” That idea had already occurred to him although it would remind him of Tyrallin again. But if he ever wanted to get over with it, he had to face those little reminders.

Marithia grinned with delight. “Want to have some real fun and come tend bar on the first floor? I promise it's where all the excitement really at!”

“Maybe I'll do that,” Elain answered. Marithia was right: life was going on. And it was time he stopped making himself miserable. It might take time, but if he didn't start now, it would take even longer.

Elain silently vowed to start anew as soon as he had recovered from the hangover that was sure to come the next morning.

To be continued...


	14. Chapter 14

If personal matters hadn't driven Elain to give up drinking, the hangovers surely would have done so eventually. He woke up the next morning to a pounding head, but he recovered with the aid of a nasty concoction that Marithia forced him to drink.  
  
The remainder of his week was uneventful, and Elain began to see signs that his life truly was returning to normal.  
  
Late the next Monday morning, Conroy came into his office carrying a small stack of daily mail for him. The secretary silently left it on the corner of his desk like usual.  
  
Elain opened them one after another, pleased to find no membership cancellations or complaints. It seemed the crisis was finally over. Furthermore, since last Tuesday, an independent surveyor had begun looking through all the accounts and financial transactions of the Velvet Shadow. Of course he wouldn't find anything out of the ordinary, but the mere act of having someone looking into the business matters established a significant amount of trustworthiness. After all, if Elain had something to hide, he wouldn't have ordered the search in the first place.  
  
Underneath the pile of letters lay a small parcel with no sender address. Elain turned it in his hands, finding no sign of who had sent it. Even the club's address was neatly printed. Very carefully, Elain began to open it. He knew that all his mail went through a special scanner to detect anything harmful, but this was indeed strange.  
  
It turned out to be a CD. No label, no cover, and the disc itself was blank without any indication of its content. Elain highly doubted that anyone would send him a blank disc, but he wouldn't just put it into his computer to find out. Maybe someone was sending him a virus? But then there were far more effective ways.  
  
Elain put the disc aside for the time being and continued to work, but it nagged at the back of his mind for the rest of the morning. When he was about to take a lunch break, Elain took the disk with him to his apartment and, after a moment of hesitation, put it into his hi-fi system. The disc whirred, then track numbers appeared, before a haunting, familiar sound filled the air.  
  
It was “Century of Steel” by Bowzer.  
  
_Lost in this time_  
_Lost in this world_  
_We stumble our paths_  
_Hoping to find_  
_The end of the rainbow_  
  
Elain wanted to reach out and turn off the hi-fi system, but he couldn't move. Like a tsunami deluging the coast, memories of that fateful evening returned with full force. He couldn't shut them out.  
  
“I'm Tyrallin Alwick. My friends call me Tyra.” A brilliant, open smile that was burned into the back of his mind like an afterimage of the sun itself.  
  
The remembrance of a cutely blushing face, of laughing, of sweet, perfect kisses. Comfort and passion, happiness and warmth.  
  
_But the sun dried_  
_Away all rain_  
_Leaving no more gold_  
_Just this cold thing_  
_This Century of Steel_  
  
Deception.  
  
_Tales of iron_  
_Pictures of bronze_  
_Daydreams of brimstone_  
_Hopes of glass_  
  
“Game? You have to believe me, this wasn't a game! I'm serious, Elain. I'm serious about you!”  
  
As hard as he tried, Elain was neither able to shut out the memory of Tyra's desperate face nor Jaydin's sad voice singing the last verse.  
  
_Hands of copper_  
_Voices of stone_  
_Eyes of quicksilver_  
_Hearts of steel_  
  
_Just this cold thing_  
_This Century of Steel_  
  
As the last chord faded into silence, Elain realized that his face was wet with tears. All the newly won resolve was crumbling again, leaving nothing but doubts.  
  
Had he been wrong? Did this perfect little dream deserve a second chance, although it now had a visible crack? Or was it better so stay like this, alone and with a heart of steel forever, a heart that couldn't be hurt but wasn't truly alive either?  
  
Elain had never felt so lost.  
  
  
  
At the end of the day, Elain still hadn't found a way to solve his dilemma. All attempts to distract himself with work had failed, and he couldn't concentrate on a book or a workout session. Not even Velvet's usually comforting presence helped him relax. So he finally gave up and decided to take up Marithia's offer of bartending on the first floor. Maybe it would help hearing other peoples' stories again, their problems and mishaps, so he didn't have to mull over his own situation the whole time.  
  
Elain still had a bartender uniform in his closet, and wearing it again brought back another set of memories. It had been a different life without responsibility and a public image. He had just been one of many anonymous good souls keeping the club running and the guests happy. However, Elain’s life was different now, and he didn't want to provoke another round of speculations, so he took off his glasses and styled his hair in a different way, some strands still covering is ears. Since his first date with Tyrallin, he knew he was almost unrecognizable like this.  
  
Firmly shoving those memories away, Elain took the elevator to the first floor. It was still early, and neither the bar nor the disco floor were completely filled with guests. Marithia, who was behind the counter as usual, did a double take when she saw Elain.  
  
“Wow, boss, what's the occasion?” she asked in surprise.  
  
“I just wanted to be here for a while,” he answered.  
  
Marithia nodded. “Okay. Have fun!”  
  
Elain felt instantly at home again behind the counter. Soon a customer ordered a drink, and he began the mixing. Another order came in, and after a while Elain had almost forgotten anything besides his work.  
  
~*~  
  
Glaive was having another rough night. He'd brought in the perp for a smaller side case he was working on, and the paperwork somehow got misplaced. Because of the error, the perpetrator had to be let go. Glaive strongly suspected sabotage, but he had no solid proof of that. He'd considered speaking to his partner about it, but Haden was so busy with the larger assignment at the studio that Glaive was loathe to trouble him.  
  
“He works too fucking hard,” Glaive muttered as he set his parking break and got out of his car. He needed a drink and a bit of winding-down time. The Velvet Shadow offered the perfect opportunity. The music and lights could provide the perfect distraction for him, coupled with a few drinks. If only there weren't a line to get in.  
  
Glaive considered going elsewhere as he stood in the queue, but it moved quickly and before long he was at the front. He dug out his most commonly used civilian ID and showed it to the bouncer before proceeding inside. Once he was in, he looked around for an ideal spot to sit and unwind before choosing to sit at the ground floor bar. It was a weeknight and most of the activity seemed to be going on upstairs and on the dance floor — which suited Glaive just fine.  
  
He walked to the bar and dug his wallet out of his leather jacket before taking a seat. The bartender was a lashran with shoulder-length, dark hair. Upon closer inspection, Glaive realized it was an auburn shade. At first, he wasn't certain whether the bartender was a sire or a lifebearer, but then he turned to ask him what he'd have to drink and Glaive saw that his blue-violet eyes had round pupils.  
  
“I'll have a Bloody Mary, thanks.” Glaive had to holler a bit to be heard over the noise of the music.  
  
The bartender nodded, his face hardly changing expression. Without meaning to, Glaive began to read the man. There was a sense of disquiet in him... a sense of wrongness. Long years of specialty training made it almost basic instinct for Glaive to examine and evaluate people when their behavior seemed a bit off. He couldn't help but do it, even though he was off-duty and the chance that the bartender was any sort of public menace was slim.  
  
His spirit wasn't that easy to read. Glaive frowned in concentration. He doubted the lifebearer was even consciously aware of it, but he was fighting the intrusion. “Interesting,” Glaive murmured, tilting his head. He nicknamed the bartender “Red” for the time being, imprinting his face in his mind just in case.  
  
Red finished mixing the drink and set the glass before Glaive as he dropped a stick of celery into it. His eyes met the lishere's and for a moment, Glaive saw confusion in them. He understood what provoked that confusion, of course. He had his long, silvery-white hair pulled back into a ponytail, which exposed his pointed ears to view. The reaction to the sight of a pointy-eared lashran with round pupils was delayed, but not unexpected. What Glaive didn't expect was the way the bartender shrugged as if saying; “not my business.”  
  
Glaive paid for his drink and watched covertly as the bartender moved around behind the bar, taking drink orders as people placed them and cleaning up. There was definitely tension in the lean body, and it only increased when the bartender's cell phone went off and he peered at the number on the ID screen. A frown marred the elegant features as Red silenced his phone and put it away.  
  
“You make a fine drink,” Glaive complimented after taking a sip of the spicy tomato juice mixture. “Most people fail at making these zesty enough to suit me, or they add too much vodka.”  
  
“I aim to please.” The bartender favored him with a brief, dry smile before wiping down the surface of the bar.  
  
“This place is much fancier on the inside than I expected,” Glaive went on, trying to keep the man talking. He wasn't in a particularly chatty mood at all, but striking up a conversation was the best way to get those barriers to give a little and see what was behind them. He didn't intend to probe too deeply and invade the lifebearer's privacy, unless he sensed something dark to look for.  
  
“It isn't too bad,” agreed the bartender evasively.  
  
Glaive took another drink and grunted in frustration. The man wasn't cooperating. Weren't bartenders meant to be chatty and accommodating? This one was doing a poor job of it, for certain. He rolled his coral eyes and tried again, annoyed that Red was making him work for a conversation. “So, how long has this place been open? I usually only pass through this part of town, and I decided to drop in for a drink.”  
  
The bartender paused in the action of wiping down a freshly cleaned glass and he looked at Glaive with a dry smirk. “You stood in line just to come in for a quick drink? A tavern would have been more convenient, you know. Cheaper, as well.”  
  
“Fair enough,” agreed the lishere, thinking quickly, “but a tavern full of drunken frat boys doesn't scream of class to me. I also prefer spending my money where the bartender knows how to do more than pour lager and the liquor isn't watered down. For that, it's worth the wait in line and a couple dollars extra.”  
  
Red seemed to relax a bit under the casual flattery. “You're a man of taste, I see.” His eyes scanned Glaive with veiled curiosity and the agent could guess what question lurked behind his lips. Evidently, the bartender was too well-bred to ask the question out loud, though.  
  
“Yes, I'm a lishere,” Glaive answered him with a wink. “You can stop wondering.”  
  
“I...didn't say anything,” the other man said, looking slightly embarrassed.  
  
“You didn't need to. I've lived on Wyndrah long enough to recognize the question before people even open their mouths.” Glaive kept his tone friendly. At least this lashran had the good manners not to make a big deal out of it.  
  
“I see,” answered the bartender. “I hadn't realized I was that transparent.”  
  
Glaive shrugged. “I'm simply more observant than most. No harm done.”  
  
Glaive's cell phone went off at that moment and he frowned with annoyance at the interruption. He'd just started softening those barriers, too. He dug the object out of his jacket with the intention of turning it off, but he changed his mind when he saw the number that was calling him. With a little grin, he put the pushed the button and put the phone to his ear.  
  
“Well hello, Mr. Wolfe. Fancy hearing from you on my fabulous day off.”  
  
“Quit bragging,” Haden said. “I got chewed out by Mel for leaving the camera lens covered by accident today and then I got a flat on my way back to the apartment.”  
  
“That sounds rough,” Glaive replied. He took another swallow of his drink. “You should throw some salt over your shoulder for luck, Haden.”  
  
“Hey, are you in a nightclub or something? I'm having trouble hearing you over the music.”  
  
“Yes, I'm at the Velvet Shadow,” answered Glaive. “You should come and have a few drinks with me.”  
  
“No can do,” Haden sighed. “I've got profile updating to do, and as soon as I finish that, I'm hitting the shower and crashing.”  
  
“Hmm, pity.” Glaive shot a look at the bartender, who had his back to him. “I'm doing a bit of profiling myself,” he finished, cupping his hand over his mouth to keep his voice from carrying.  
  
“What?” Haden sounded confused.  
  
“It's nothing serious,” Glaive assured him, “Just following up on a vibe to be safe.”  
  
“Heh, and you accuse me of working too hard. Why don't you spend your night off...you know...off?”  
  
Glaive smiled. “I will, as soon as I finish. If you're already in bed when I get home, I'll see you in the morning.”  
  
“Okay. Take it easy, Glaive.”  
  
The call ended and Glaive put the phone away. “My roommate,” he explained when the bartender looked at him. He finished his drink and pushed his glass forward. “I think I'll have another, thanks.”  
  
Red nodded and took the glass. Glaive silently probed him as he got a fresh one and started mixing a new cocktail for him. This time, he was able to figure out the gist of what was causing the disquiet and frustration in the lifebearer's aura, and he barely refrained from rolling his eyes. The man was lovesick. Wonderful. Glaive had hoped for something a bit more interesting. He began to withdraw but just as he did, he sensed something beneath the surface that exasperated him. Was anybody in this town capable of admitting their feelings for each other?  
  
When the bartender set his new drink before him, Glaive counted out some bills and set them on the bar. As the lashran reached for it, Glaive grabbed his wrist smoothly and looked into his startled eyes.  
  
“Whatever it is, get over it,” he said in a stern tone.  
  
“I...excuse me?” Red looked as though he couldn't decide whether to be offended or shocked.  
  
“As I said before, I'm observant,” Glaive said. “Perhaps it isn't my business, but when someone has a hair up their ass as big as yours it can lead to stupidity.”  
  
The bartender pulled his wrist away and stared at him. “I think you've had enough to drink.”  
  
“I'll take my leave as soon as I finish this one,” Glaive answered calmly. He downed the cocktail quickly and sighed with satisfaction before standing up. “If my observation offends you, then it must be accurate. I'll say it one more time before I go: get over it. Your issue — whatever it is — isn't worth spoiling your chance to get what you want. Have a good evening, friend.”  
  
Glaive turned and walked away without bothering to listen for a reply. He felt the bartender's eyes boring into his back, and he sensed Red’s frustrated confusion. Good. He'd done his good duty of the week and given the fool something to think about. He frowned as he walked to the exit and the thought of his own similar “issue” buzzed in his head. Maybe he didn't have any room to talk, when it came to denying one's true feelings.  
  
~*~  
  
Elain continued to work at the bar for the next few hours, but his mind was in much more disarray. Since the strange lishere had appeared and practically given him an earful and a pep talk in one package, his thoughts kept drifting back to Tyrallin even more than before.  
  
Around one a.m., Elain returned to his apartment, took a shower, and then settled down on the couch next to a sleeping Velvet. As he had suspected, he wasn’t able to sit still and not think about Tyra again.  
  
It couldn't go on this way. Either he put the whole thing out of his mind for good — or he tried to get it right this time. Since the first was of the question, it had to be the latter.  
  
Elain got up from the couch and went to the desk with his private laptop, booting it. A few clicks opened his email program, a few more unlocked the address he had given Tyra for receiving emails.  
  
With a deep, shaky breath, Elain started to type a message.  
  
~*~  
  
When Tyra and Feadri came home on Friday after school, their sire called Tyra into the living room.  
  
Tyra kicked off his shoes and dropped his backpack at the foot of the stairs and then went to the living room, where his sire was sitting on the couch. Detrallin put aside the newspaper he’d been reading and looked up at his son.  
  
“You needed something, sire?” Tyra asked.  
  
His sire waited to reply just long enough to make Tyra squirm. “We’ve decided to lift the grounding restrictions with one caveat,” Detrallin announced. “You have an eleven o’clock curfew. That’s all.”  
  
“But I thought I was grounded until college,” Tyra said in confusion.  
  
Detrallin looked at his son with a slightly worried expression. “Your father and I think you've been suffered enough because of all this. And we want to see you smile again, son. Go and have fun with your friends like you used to.”  
  
Tyra understood his sire’s motives, but he couldn’t very well explain that all he wanted right now was to be left alone. He cared about his friends and classmates, but he was fed up with their sympathetic and curious looks.  
  
People were just being so careful with him, and he hated it. The grounding had actually been a perfect excuse to hide away.  
  
“Sure. Thanks, sire,” Tyra replied.  
  
Detrallin nodded. “And about that meeting with the head dean of Dalling yesterday... don't worry too much. I'm sure everything will work out fine, and if not, we'll think of something.”  
  
The meeting hadn't gone very well, since the head dean had been very evasive and almost afraid to say anything concrete. All they had learned was that the reviewing process usually took the university's board of advisers a full month until a definite decision was made.  
  
“Oh, it’s going to get worked out. I’m going to Dalling.” Tyra shook his head in frustration. “I’d love to get my hands on the guy that pushed the issue. You know they’re going to look more closely at my high school records now. They’re probably going through them and finding out how much grief I gave the teachers.”  
  
Detrallin snorted. “You may have given them hell, but you never did anything wrong, so they won’t be able to make any of that stick. Like I said, don’t worry too much.” Detrallin picked up his paper and opened it again.  
  
“What’s for dinner?” Tyra asked.  
  
“Your dad’s fixing vegetarian pasta casserole and chicken salad.” Detrallin looked over the top of his newspaper with a lopsided smile. “Actually, the chicken was supposed to go in the casserole, but he forgot until it was too late.”  
  
“Huh, sounds like dad,” Tyra said.  
  
He went and picked up his backpack and headed upstairs to his room. Once he was there, he fired up his computer and opened his email program. He was completely unprepared for what he found.  
  
There was an email from Elain.  
  
He hesitated for several minutes, simply stared at the screen. At last, he gathered his resolve and opened it to see what Elain had to say. The contents were even more surprising than the fact that he’d gotten the email at all.  
  
Dear Tyrallin,  
  
I know you must be mad at me for not answering your calls and emails and even madder that you now have so much trouble on my behalf. But if you'd be willing, I'd like a chance to talk to you again. Can you come to the Velvet Shadow tomorrow evening if your parents allow? Your card's still working.  
  
Elain  
  
Tyra had to read the email three times before it truly sank in. He was so stunned that he had no idea how to react; anger, hope, frustration, relief, they all swirled madly inside of him until he felt lightheaded. But besides those emotions, there was another unexpected feeling: fear. It was fear that if he got his hopes up now, they’d be dashed to the ground.  
  
What exactly did Elain want? His message gave no clues.  
  
Quickly, Tyra closed his email and walked away from it, intending to read a book on his bed, but after just five minutes, he was back in front of his computer rereading the email. And this time he opened a window to reply to it before making any conscious decision to do so.  
  
Yeah, you could say I was kind of mad, and not just that you wouldn’t reply. I read the article in the Wyndrah Celebrity, too.  
  
I want to see you because I never got the chance to apologize properly. However, I’m not sure what you want to talk about. I know it’s over. I got that. If you just want to tell me how badly I screwed up, you don’t have to, okay? Everyone on my end has been very clear about that with me. So I’ll apologize, and you can say whatever it is that you want to say, and I’ll be on my way.  
  
What time tomorrow evening? And where exactly should I meet you?  
  
Tyra  
  
Tyra tapped at the edge of the desk for a few moments as he read through it. Then he clicked the Send button.  
  
Now he just had to see whether his parents would be reasonable about his trip to the Velvet Shadow tomorrow.  
  
When Tyra asked them about it, he earned a set of raised eyebrows from his sire and a round of warnings from his father.  
  
“You really want to go back there? Tyra, honey, I know I said that you should apologize earlier, but after I met this person myself, I doubt that it would be a good idea. What could he possibly want from you besides pulling you down even further?”  
  
“Wait, you met Elain? Other than at the charity party?” Tyra asked, completely taken aback. “When was this? Why?”  
  
“I went to meet him after the letter from the university came since I suspected him being behind all this,” Lissem answered. “Forests, I doubt that I've ever met anyone colder. He said he regretted that you now had trouble and promised that he didn't have anything to do with it, but I didn't believe him. He admitted that several department deans of Dalling are members of his club.”  
  
“Oh gods, dad!” Tyra exclaimed. “I can't believe you did that. I just can't believe it.” Tyra shook his head as all of his father's words gradually sank in. “You thought he was behind the scholarship problem? No way. There's just no way he'd do that. He just wouldn't. Forests, this is such a mess. I'm going to meet him tomorrow, and then everything will be cleared up, and it'll be over, okay?”  
  
Lissem didn't look happy, but he nodded. “I won't keep you from going. But I'm sure...”  
  
“Love, that's something they have to clear up between themselves,” Detrallin butted in. “You might have made it even worse although you meant well.”  
  
“Thanks, sire. Can I, er, set the table or anything?” he asked, hoping his parents would leave it at that.  
  
“Of course. Or better, Feadri can do that. Tyra, why don't you take a look into the fridge if the pudding is ready for dessert.” Detrallin winked at him while he gently shoved Lissem out of the kitchen into the dining room.  
  
“Sure, no problem,” Tyra responded.  
  
He proceeded to help get dinner together and then he sat down with his family to eat, and for a little while, it took his mind off of his worries about what would come of tomorrow. But later that night, as he lay in bed staring out his window, he couldn't help but wonder what he would feel and think when he saw Elain for the first time since that party weeks ago.  
  
~*~  
  
Elain was equally impatient and anxious. The whole next day he wasn't able to concentrate properly and finally gave up and went to spend some energy at the gym. He had asked Tyra to come at seven o'clock, but the hours and minutes until then seemed endless.  
  
At quarter to seven, he finally went down to the first floor. Luckily, Marithia had her day off, or he would have gotten an earful from her. But as sound as her advice usually was, this time he had to listen to his heart and not his reason.  
  
The problem was that he had no idea what to tell the young sire. Apologize, of course, but other than that he could only try to explain his behavior.  
  
Tyrallin wasn't there when Elain arrived on the first floor, so he took his customary seat at the bar. He didn't have long to wait. At five minutes until seven, Elain saw a familiar spiky blond figure appear in the main doorway.  
  
Tyra spotted Elain almost instantly, and he slowly approached the lifebearer.  
  
It was an awkward moment, looking at each other and not really knowing what to say. But then Elain pulled himself together. He was supposed to be the sensible adult here, although at the moment he felt really childish having been afraid to face the young sire. And fear it had been, fear of looking into those eyes and losing all reason again.  
  
He slowly got up from his bar stool. “Thanks for coming here.”  
  
Tyra gave a small shrug. “Thanks for asking me,” he replied. He shifted his weight and looked at the people milling about the bar, trying not to stare at Elain too hard. He looked so put together, so composed. Now that Elain knew the truth about him, he felt the disadvantage of his youth much more keenly. “I know it might be a bit uncomfortable, but is there any chance we could talk someplace private?”  
  
“Of course. I just wanted to wait for you here,” Elain answered. “Let's go upstairs.”  
  
To his eyes, Tyrallin looked only a bit nervous, so maybe the sire dealt far better with the whole situation than it seemed. That thought gave Elain hope that this meeting would turn out better than he had feared.  
  
Tyrallin followed Elain to the elevators, and once they were alone and sealed off from the music of the bar, Tyra crossed his arms and leaned against the elevator wall.  
  
I should say something, he thought to himself. But no appropriate words came to him.  
  
Elain was quiet as well and felt relieved when they finally reached the tenth floor. He had debated with himself about whether he really should allow Tyrallin up to his apartment again, but anything else seemed too impersonal, too businesslike. And Elain had done enough in that direction.  
  
He unlocked the door and gently shooed Velvet out of the way lest she bang her nose against the opening door, and then he invited Tyra in.  
  
Tyra followed Elain into his apartment and then shoved his hands back into his pockets.  
  
“Ever since the party, I thought a lot about what I would say to you when I finally got to see you in person again,” Tyra finally said. “I thought about it over and over. Came up with some really good stuff, too. But all I can really say is that I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner.”  
  
Elain took some deep breaths. “I can understand why you didn't tell me. I mean, I was practically no better by not telling you that I'm the owner of the Velvet Shadow. Then I wanted you to get to know me without that knowledge influencing you, and I guess you wanted the same, too. Tyrallin, I'm very sorry for all the trouble you had because of me. I hope you can believe me that I didn't want that. I was mad at you, yes, but I would never wish you any harm.”  
  
Tyra groaned and winced at the reminder. “Oh, damn, that's right. I forgot about that. I found out from my dad last night that he came to see you, and he told me why. He shouldn't have done that, and I told him so. I know you wouldn't have done that about my scholarship, and the idea never even occurred to me.”  
  
“But I was at fault nevertheless since I wasn't able to keep this from getting to the press, and then the gossip about the charity money started. I'm quite sure that someone used the situation to discredit me and my club, and you got caught up in it. I can only hope that now that the dust has settled, everything will turn out well for you.”  
  
Tyra gave a small snort. “After the fight we had, it would have taken an act of the gods to keep the press out of it.” Tyra shifted awkwardly and took a few more steps into the room, stopping to lean against one of the chairs. Finally, he looked up and met Elain's eyes. “Did you...did you really mean what you said in the Wyndrah Celebrity? That it wasn't even a relationship to you?”  
  
Somehow, he managed to ask it without choking on the words. They still sounded bitter to his ears, though.  
  
Elain slowly shook his head. “No, I lied as cold-blooded as I've never done before in my life. It was the only way to shut up the rumors, and there were times when I wished that I could believe my own words. But ever since I got your CD...”  
  
Tyra felt some of the tension he'd been carrying around for the past week finally ease from his mind at Elain's words. However, then he blinked a couple of times and shook his head. “What CD?”  
  
“The Bowzer CD that was sent to me,” Elain explained, frowning. “That wasn't your doing? But who else knows that we met when Bowzer was playing ‘Century of Steel’?”  
  
“Someone sent you a Bowzer CD?” Tyra asked. “Well, that's a little creepy. I really can't think of anyone who would know that. Actually, I suppose the friends who came with me that night might know, but there's no way they'd know that particular song was special. Hey, if you don't mind, can I see the disc?”  
  
“Of course.” Elain crossed his living room to fetch the CD from his hi-fi system, then he came back to give it to Tyra. “There was no sender address or note attached.”  
  
Tyra turned the disc over in his hands a couple of times. There was absolutely nothing on it except the manufacturer's imprint. After he looked at it, he offered it back to Elain. “That's really weird, and I don't know what to tell you.”  
  
As he passed the disc back, their fingertips brushed warmly against each other.  
  
It was like a tiny electric spark that raced through their veins, letting their bodies remember what their minds had tried to forget. Hastily and purely on reflex, Elain pulled back his hand.  
  
“That's strange. But I'm still trying to decide if I'm grateful for this little reminder or not. It's... it's not easy for me to do this, Tyra.” Without realizing, Elain had slipped back into the informal way of addressing the sire. “But I'm done being the coward who just runs away and shuts out any attempt for an explanation. It's a reflex that's hard to overcome, I guess.”  
  
“I'd never call you a coward,” Tyra said. “And it's not easy for me, either, Elain.” Tyra held is breath for a second and then let it out slowly. “I'm not sure what more explanation I can give, though. What is it you want, Elain? I'm still not sure. But if you let me know, I can try to give it to you, and then maybe we'll both get some closure out of it.”  
  
There it was, the moment of truth. And Elain was still torn between his rational side telling him to make that closure in peace and his once again wildly racing heart that seemed adamant to reach out again although it had been broken so many times.  
  
Elain briefly closed his eyes, then he answered softly, “I'm not sure... I want that closure at all. I know I hurt you, and you hurt me, and maybe too much has happened already, but...” He stopped, unable to say anything else that made sense.  
  
Tyra froze, and he felt his heartbeat start to kick into high gear. Hope reared its head in a sudden and almost painful movement in his chest.  
  
He took a small step toward the lifebearer. “What do you want, Elain?” he asked softly. “Anything you want, just ask. Just tell me what you want.”  
  
Elain felt once again helpless while looking in Tyra's open, handsome face, seeing the hope shining in the sire's eyes.  
  
He couldn't turn away, couldn't deny the fragile, warm feeling deep inside him though reason still told him very firmly that he couldn't trust Tyra again, that the sire was far too young, that everything Elain did here was a terrible mistake they both would soon regret.  
  
It didn't matter anymore.  
  
“I want... a chance for us to do things right this time,” Elain whispered.  
  
Tyra felt a big smile slowly stretch its way across his face. He took another step toward Elain and slowly brought up his hand to cup Elain's cheek the way he normally liked to do.  
  
“Okay, no problem, but ask me something difficult next time, okay?” Tyra said. “'Cause that's something I want, too.”  
  
“I thought that was pretty difficult,” Elain answered, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from him. He leaned into the tender touch like a cat. “You could have said no. I mean, I said some very nasty things.”  
  
“Hmm,” Tyra murmured thoughtfully. “Well, yeah, you chewed me a new one at the party. And you were pretty nasty in the Wyndrah Celebrity, to tell you the truth.” He smiled wider as Elain squirmed a bit, and he wrapped his arms around Elain's shoulders and drew him into an embrace. “But, hey, we can use that to our advantage if you want. If it'd cause problems for you, we don't have to be officially seeing each other. I may be eighteen, but that'll fix itself if you give it enough time.”  
  
“Actually, that's one of the two conditions I have to set,” Elain said, putting his arms around Tyra's waist. “We must keep this a secret from the public until you're old enough that we don't cause a scandal again.”  
  
Tyra briefly nuzzled at Elain's hair and then pulled his head back just far enough so that he could met Elain's eyes. “That sounds fine to me. There kind of isn't any way around that except time.” Tyra sobered a bit then. “What's the other condition?”  
  
“That you never keep anything from me again.” Elain looked up at him with a solemn expression. “That's the main reason why I reacted this way when I learned the truth. I had some severe trusting issues to begin with, and you managed to make the one mistake that gets me completely hostile.”  
  
“Yeah, I found that one out the hard way,” Tyra said wryly. “But just to clarify, that's particularly about important stuff, right? I mean, I can't tell you every single little thing, and I don't want you getting mad at me because I didn't tell you something I thought wasn't a big deal. But honestly, you now know all of the important stuff. Hi, I'm Tyra, and I'm eighteen, and I'm graduating from high school in two weeks.”  
  
“Yes, I know, and that will make me feel like an old pervert for those two weeks,” Elain muttered. “Honestly, it's about the important things. Certain people in the past thought that loving another or not being serious with me were minor details that I didn't need to be aware of, so forgive me for being paranoid.”  
  
Tyra reached up and tucked Elain's soft red hair behind his ears, gently touching their rounded tips. “You know, I really don't like that anyone hurt you like that, but if you think about it, there was a good reason it didn't work out with those guys. You're supposed to be with me. Sorry I made you wait.” Tyra kissed Elain's nose.  
  
Elain was torn between laughter and tears. That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to him, and for a moment he doubted once again that this could be really true. But Tyra's smiling face, so close to his own, was real.  
  
“Let's just say it wasn't a moment too early.” Elain got up on his tiptoes and gave Tyra a soft kiss on the lips.  
  
Tyra mumbled even though their mouths were touching now, and each word he spoke caressed his lips against Elain's. “Although it might have been easier on both of us if this had happened a couple of years frommmpph!” He lost his ability to speak as Elain put a hand at the back of his head and sealed their kiss completely.  
  
It still tasted perfect and sweet, with a hint of saltiness, but neither of them cared. Like two puzzle pieces clicking together, they fitted perfectly against each other.  
  
Finally Elain pulled back, feeling light-headed and a little out of breath. Gently he stroked through the hair at the back of Tyra's head. “I missed you,” he said softly.  
  
Tyra took another quick kiss. “Missed you, too,” he said. Then a stray thought occurred to him and he groaned and put his forehead on Elain's shoulder. “Shit, my parents are going to flip out on me when I tell them we're back together.” Lissem especially, but he didn't really need to point that out to Elain.  
  
“But you have to tell them,” Elain pointed out, soothingly stroking Tyra's hair. “I know your father has a justified grudge against me, but I'm going to try my best to make amends. Do you have any idea what could work?”  
  
“Let me talk to them first, okay? And the way I see it, dad also needs to apologize for accusing you about the scholarship problem without any sort of evidence,” Tyra said. Then he sighed and pulled back to meet Elain’s eyes. “He’s not going to like it, though. Neither of them are. I told them I was coming here to wrap things up and that’d be the end of it. I didn’t…didn’t really think I could get you back again.”  
  
Tyra, unable to help himself, leaned in for another kiss, this one harder, more demanding.  
  
Elain hungrily returned kiss. It grew more passionate and heated by the moment, and soon Elain realized that both their hands were trying to get under each other’s clothes. And with that realization also came the reminder that Tyra was still in school, and immediately Elain felt guilty again. With regret, he pulled his hands back.  
  
“I think we’d better take it slow,” he breathed.  
  
A bit dazed, Tyra half-opened his eyes. “Hmm, what?” he asked. Then he realized that his hands had gone sneaking up Elain’s shirt. “Oh, sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” He slowly pulled his hands away and with some effort managed to pry his body out of their embrace, although he kept hold of one of Elain’s hands. “Ah, you’re right. My parents are going to expect me home soon. I should probably go and start explaining, but I don’t really want to leave yet.”  
  
A big part of him was afraid to leave. They’d only just barely gotten back together. Hell, they hadn’t even been talking all that long. Tyra glanced at his watch and realized that it hadn’t even been a full hour since he arrived. He didn’t want to turn around and leave and then realize later that Elain had changed his mind.  
  
“I was hoping you could stay just a bit longer,” Elain said, allaying Tyra's fears. “But I don't want to get your parents worried. Can we meet tomorrow or are you still grounded?”  
  
Tyra gave Elain a small smile and gently squeezed his hand. “Grounding’s over except that I have a curfew to worry about now.” Tyra felt his ear tips heat. “Damn, I didn’t realize how embarrassing it could be to tell my centenarian boyfriend that I have a curfew. Hey, let me see how things go with my parents, and then I’ll let you know what the plan is for tomorrow, okay?”  
  
“Of course. Forests, now I feel positively ancient. Are you still sure about this?” Elain's lopsided smile indicated that he was at least half joking.  
  
Tyra grinned and made a show of thinking it over. “Hmm, let me see here. Older boyfriend who’s dead sexy, extremely smart, and leaves me feeling weak in the knees when he kisses me. So, what exactly am I supposed to be unsure about?” Tyra leaned forward and gave Elain a playful quick kiss.  
  
Elain smiled, feeling his cheeks grow warm. “So you think boosting my ego like this will help? You’d better go now, or I’ll decide to not let you leave at all.”  
  
Tyra actually pouted. “Aww, man, you say stuff like that, and I...ooh, okay, okay, I’m going,” he said, and he let Elain’s hand go and backed away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Elain.” He leaned in and stole another kiss before backing farther away, out of reach.  
  
“Goodnight, Tyra,” Elain said, still smiling. “I wish you luck with your parents.”  
  
Tyra nodded and finally managed to turn around and leave the apartment.  
  
With a relieved and happy sigh, Elain flopped down on his couch. Velvet crawled on his lap, purring, as if she knew exactly how her master felt.  
  
“Seems we’ve finally done something right,” Elain whispered to her, stroking the cat behind her ears. Now everything depended on how Tyra's parents would react.  
  
~*~  
  
“You what?”  
  
Tyra cringed at his father's indignant squawk. He was sitting on the love seat in the living room, and both of his parents sat on the couch across from him.  
  
“Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought you'd say,” Tyra mumbled.  
  
“But why? Tyra, darling, I'm sorry to say that, but do you have a fever or something? After all that has happened, you can't be serious!” Lissem shouted.  
  
“After all that happened, I thought there was no way we could ever get back together again, and I couldn't stand that. But he said he wants to give it another try, and I'm not letting it get away,” Tyra responded.  
  
“But...” Lissem was about to start another tirade when Detrallin gently lay a hand on his mate's shoulder.  
  
“Love, it's no use,” he said patiently. “Remember the time when we dated? And how your parents didn't like me at all at first? It didn't matter to us.”  
  
Tyra relaxed just a bit, letting his shoulders drop. He hadn't realized how tightly strung he'd been until the tension began to leave him. “Look, I know it seems crazy. This was a huge nightmare, with that fight and the press and everything. But, the thing is, Elain and I just sort of fit really well, and I know I was miserable without him, and I'm pretty sure he felt the same way. I know why he did the things he did, and I think if I'd been in his position, I might have done the exact same things. But we both want to make it work.”  
  
Detrallin seemed to take his words into consideration before he replied. “I hear what you're saying, Tyra, but you realize it's going to be difficult, don't you?”  
  
“Yeah, but easy's no fun,” Tyra joked.  
  
“Tyra, this is serious!” Lissem chided. “How can you be sure that this whole mess won't start all over again? And there's still the problem with your scholarship. Not to mention that there are thousands of intelligent, pretty, and nice young lifebearers out there who would fit you even better!”  
  
Tyra frowned. “That's right, I almost forgot about that. You really should apologize to Elain for accusing him like that, dad. You didn't have any proof, so why would you go to him like that and point a finger? That wasn't his doing, and you shouldn't have done that without talking to me about it first.”  
  
Lissem crossed his arms in front of his chest and shot his son a dark look. “It's my duty as parent to protect my children! And I wanted to see for myself what he would say to my accusations. I might be wrong about him and your scholarship but I still don't like him at all for seducing you and then making you this miserable!”  
  
Tyra rolled his eyes and then fixed his father with a firm stare. “No, you wanted a chance to vent your spleen on him. And you know what? You're jumping to conclusions again. He didn't do any seducing. After we met the first time, I went back there chasing after him.”  
  
“Nevertheless, it's just...” Lissem stopped after Detrallin shot him a meaningful look. “What? Don't tell me you are happy about this!”  
  
His mate sighed. “Love, this isn't about us. It's Tyra's decision. And if he loves Elain, no force on Wyndrah will stop him.” Detrallin looked at his son. “You have made up your mind, haven't you?”  
  
If someone had pulled the chair out from under Tyra, he wouldn't have been more stunned. “Made up...my mind...that...um, what?”  
  
“I mean if you're serious about continuing this relationship despite all misgivings?” his sire asked. “Tyra, are you okay?”  
  
Love. He'd known it, thought it, felt it, tasted it. But having someone else say the word still surprised him somehow. It was such a short little word. How did it manage to hold so much strength even though it was so small?  
  
“Um, yeah, I'm fine,” Tyra said as he shook his head to clear it. “And yes, I'm really serious about Elain. As long as he'll have me, and he says he will, so that's that.”  
  
“Good. All I want to say is that you have to be careful,” Detrallin said.  
  
“You can't be serious!? Beloved, I'm starting to think you have a fever, too!” Lissem complained. “What do you expect? Should I bake a cake and invite him over for coffee to have a nice little chat as if nothing happened?”  
  
Tyra shrugged and held up his hands. “All I expect is that you give him a chance and not bite his head off the next time you see him!”  
  
Forests help him if his father couldn't let go of this grudge. Tyra decided then and there that he'd better make sure the next time his father and Elain met that it was under perfect circumstances...and preferably with his supervision.  
  
“All right. It seems that I'm outvoted here.” Lissem held up his hands in defeat. “But I guess I still need to come to terms with that fact that my little boy is now an adult and has someone who's important for him.” His face grew softer again as he continued, “All I want is to see you happy, Tyra. I solemnly promise I try to behave the next time I meet your Elain, okay?”  
  
Tyra nodded contently. “That's fine. That's all I ask. So you'll be okay with it if I go spend some more time with Elain tomorrow? We have a lot to talk about. We kind of didn't have much time tonight because I knew you both were expecting me back home.”  
  
“Yes, it's okay. But don't forget your curfew,” his father reminded him, getting up from the couch. “I'm going to bed now for some beauty sleep, or I'll get wrinkles from all this stress.” He affectionately patted Tyra's shoulder on his way out.  
  
Detrallin looked at his son and smiled. “I'll get your father to invite your boyfriend over, don't worry. I mean, I'm curious, too.”  
  
Tyra winced as he rose from the chair. “I'm not sure I want them meeting right away. Maybe we should give dad a chance to cool off a bit more.”  
  
“Well, you know your father. He's unable to hold a serious grudge for long.” Detrallin got up as well. “Good night, Tyra. Oh, and one more thing: Be careful. I don't want you to give your father a heart attack by making us grandparents too soon.”  
  
Tyra for a moment couldn't process what his sire was saying, but when it finally sank in, his face quickly flushed. “Uh, right. No problem. We don't have to talk any more about that, do we? Please say we don't.”  
  
Detrallin looked uncomfortable as well. “No, we don't. I've said what I wanted to say. Sleep well, son.” Then he left Tyra alone in the living room.  
  
Tyra sighed in relief, both at the escape of another lecture and the fact that the conversation was over. He went into the kitchen and fixed himself a large chicken sandwich, and he took it upstairs with him. When he reached his room, he turned on the lights and was sure to close the door. Then he sat on his bed with his sandwich, his cell phone, and a book.  
  
He proceeded to trade text messages with Elain for the next two hours before finally going to sleep that night.  
  
~*~  
  
Tyra and Elain had agreed to meet on Saturday afternoon to have plenty of time until Tyra had to get home. For the time being, they had to stick to meeting at the club where they could be sure nobody saw them together, but that would be over as soon as the press had completely forgotten about the scandal.  
  
Tyra used his card on the scanner of the side entrance, like Elain had told him, and entered the Velvet Shadow. Just as he headed for the elevator, a familiar voice stopped him.  
  
“Hey handsome!” It was Marithia. She had obviously spotted him from her place at the bar and now headed toward him. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”  
  
Tyra looked at the elevator across the room, wishing that he could simply go straight to Elain's side. However, he looked back to Marithia and said, “Sure, what did you want to talk about?”  
  
The female lashran crossed her arms in front of her chest and sized him up. “So, you and Elain are back together again, right? Although I have no idea why he's giving you a second chance, I wanted to warn you: If you ever hurt him again, even the gods won't save you from my wrath. Understood?”  
  
Tyra sighed inwardly, but he somehow managed to keep his disgust to himself. As if he needed another round of chastising. “I'm not going to hurt him again, and I wasn't even trying to in the first place. Okay?”  
  
Marithia’s sharp green eyed seemed to look deep into his soul for a moment. Then she heaved a sigh. “I believe you. No offence meant, handsome, but I wanted to be sure since Elain really cares for you. Now go and don't let him wait any longer,” she said, a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth.  
  
Tyra gave her a crooked grin. “Sure thing. Later!”  
  
Tyra went to the elevator and made his way up to Elain's apartment, and once he was there, he straightened his clothes just a bit before knocking on the door.  
  
Elain had been waiting for him for the last ten minutes and almost dashed to the door, but then he felt silly and took a few seconds longer to open it.  
  
“Hello, Tyra. Please come in,” he greeted the sire with a smile. A kiss would have to wait a bit longer since Elain needed to grab Velvet before she could dash through Tyra's legs and out of the door.  
  
“Woah, kitty!” Tyra said as the cat came running toward him. However, before he could even react, Elain had scooped her up in his arms. “I suppose it's lucky you don't live where she can really run away and disappear onto the streets. At least she'd be trapped in the hall. Does she do that often?”  
  
“No. She has this bad habit since you came here the first time. I guess she missed you, too.”  
  
Velvet meowed as if to say that he was absolutely right and tried to climb over to Tyra's arms as Elain leaned in for a kiss.  
  
Tyra petted Velvet’s furry head even as he kissed Elain. “Mm, unless there's anything specific you want to talk about, I think we should just spend the whole day snuggling and watching movies together.”  
  
“Sounds good to me.” Elain closed the door and finally let go of the cat who hopped down and followed Tyra. “May I ask what your parents said?”  
  
Tyra made his way over to the couch, and he took off his shoes and put them to the side before he sat down and made himself comfortable. He patted the cushion next to him, and Elain sat down beside him. “Sire is being really reasonable about it, but dad's still upset about everything. I realized this morning when he was feeling nauseous that he's also still very pregnant. I'm sure he'll calm down eventually, though.” At least Tyra hoped so.  
  
“I'm sorry. Your father seemed like a very nice person to me the first time I spoke to him, and I'd rather be in his good graces. Maybe it’ll just take more time. And speaking of good graces... I take it Marithia was on the look-out for you? I don't keep any secret from her, so I told her we're back together.” Elain asked. “I hope she didn't chew you out.”  
  
Tyra shrugged. “Just a little,” he replied. “But on to more important things: What sort of movies do you have?”  
  
“Do you remember when we talked about that historical pirate movie that we both missed when it was in the cinemas? I got it on DVD and haven't watched it myself yet. Does that sound good?” Elain asked.  
  
“That sounds great,” Tyra replied. Elain loaded the DVD into the player and fiddled with the menu options until he got the movie started. Then Tyra pulled Elain close so that he could make good on his plan to snuggle during the movie.  
  
They watched the movie in comfortable silence except for some laughing at the funny scenes. Elain leaned against Tyra and relished the simple joy of just being together like this. He now realized how much he had missed this.  
  
When the movie came to a scene where the two lead characters, both lashran, were engaged in a passionate kiss, Tyra looked down and eyed the tempting place where Elain's neck met his shoulder. He bent his head down and captured that spot with his mouth and began to suck on it and worry at it.  
  
Elain made a small, delighted noise and pulled Tyra a bit closer. “Seems I have a dashing rogue of my own, too,” he said teasingly.  
  
Tyra paused in his ministrations just long enough to say, “Arrr,” to Elain, and then he readjusted himself on the couch so that he could pull Elain even closer. After being apart for so many weeks, it was a relief to be able to touch like this again. He looked down in admiration on the little mark he'd left. It would probably be covered when Elain donned his suits again and went back to work, but there was a chance that it might peek through, and that pleased Tyra to no end.  
  
But Elain wasn't about to let himself be overwhelmed again. He gave Tyra a little kiss on the lips, then on the chin, then a few down to the neck. He decided on Tyra's pointed ear as the next target and gave it a little nip.  
  
The sensation from the nip shot straight down Tyra's spine, and he inhaled a sharp gasp of pleasure which ended in a whimper. Gods that felt wonderful. He clutched a handful of Elain's shirt in his fist as he tried to recover his senses.  
  
Now that's interesting, Elain thought with no small amount of satisfaction. It seemed he had found a particularly sensitive spot. To prove his theory, Elain kissed the ear tip and then licked down the outer shell.  
  
“Oh, Forests!” Tyra exclaimed. The sensations were making his whole body grow hot and eager. He'd always known that his ear tips were slightly longer than a normal sire's, but apparently they were extra sensitive as well. His cock hardened eagerly in his pants, and he groaned as Elain bit at his earlobe. “That...that feels so good,” he said between shivers.  
  
“Really?” Elain whispered teasingly, breathing against the wet skin. He gently pushed Tyra back into the couch and crawled on his lap to have better access. “Do you want me to stop?”  
  
Tyra felt as though he was drowning in his own arousal, and he could feel that Elain was equally aroused where he was sitting on Tyra's lap and their groins pressed together. But at the same time, he wasn't sure how to answer the lifebearer's question. Where they going to...did Elain want...?  
  
Elain gave Tyra's ear one last nip before he pulled back to look into his lover's face. Tyra looked absolutely delectable with his glazed eyes and slightly ruddy cheeks, and Elain's former doubts whether this was right or not vanished completely. Tyra was mature enough to know what he was doing, so there was no reason for them to delay any longer what they both wanted.  
  
“Tyra?” he asked softly. “Should we continue?”  
  
“Um, I uh,” Tyra stumbled as he tried to think logically about this. But logic flew completely out the window when Elain shifted and gave a small thrust of his hips against Tyra. Tyra gasped and grabbed Elain's hips to keep him still. “Do...do we need any sort of...do we need to use protection?” he finally managed to ask.  
  
“I don't like to take any chances,” Elain replied. “Don't you normally use protection?”  
  
He was hopelessly aroused...and also hopelessly trapped. His face was beginning to feel like it was on fire. He gripped the fabric of Elain's clothes at his waist. “I don't normally... that is, I haven't... ummm...”  
  
Elain leaned closer to him. “You haven't done this before?” he guessed.  
  
Tyra shook his head and eased his grip on Elain's clothing. “No I... I haven't,” he replied quietly. But dear gods, did he want to now. It had never seemed that important to him before. So many of the other males his own age seemed obsessed with losing their virginity as quickly as they possibly could, but the idea of it for Tyra had always been “it'll happen when it happens.” And he'd never found any lifebearer who had seemed more than of passing interest to him.  
  
Elain was different. He needed Elain.  
  
Elain tried to hide his surprise to no avail. But now some things finally made sense: Tyra's sweet bashfulness, his excuses not to go any further, his concentration on Elain's pleasure instead of his own... all that to hide his inexperience. For a moment Elain wasn't sure if he was flattered or shocked at this revelation.  
  
“I guess that's something else you didn't want me to know?” he asked.  
  
“No!” Tyra blurted, panicking. “I didn't mean... that is, aaargg, no, I didn't want you to know that. But, dammit, what guy wants to tell his lover he's a complete novice at sex?” Tyra groaned helplessly and tried to hide his face in a couch cushion.  
  
“Tyra, look at me.” Elain mercilessly pulled away the cushion. “That's nothing to be ashamed of. And do you really think that practice always makes perfect? What I said about mixing drinks applies to sex as well: It's the level of dedication that matters, not the experience.”  
  
“Thanks,” Tyra replied with a wry smile. “That almost makes me feel better.” Hesitantly, he caressed his thumbs against Elain's hips.  
  
Elain smiled at him, climbing from Tyra's lap and settling down next to him on the couch. “Then let's not rush things. By the way, I didn't lose my virginity until I was twenty-two.”  
  
Tyra didn't know whether to scream in frustration or sigh in relief. He struggled to get into a sitting position — although it was extremely uncomfortable with his erection straining in his jeans. “And I didn't give my first blow job until about a month ago,” he said jokingly. But he eyed Elain hungrily as he remembered the incident.  
  
“Then you're indeed a natural, and I insist that you don't change your methods,” Elain answered. He was as frustrated as Tyra, but the decades of practicing self-control were paying off now. “And I think I still owe you something,” he remarked, unbuckling Tyra's belt and unzipping his jeans.  
  
Tyra gasped in surprise and then sighed with great relief as Elain successfully unbuckled him and then opened his pants. “Elain, you don't have to...!” His words were cut off as Elain's hand burrowed into his open pants and palmed him through his underwear. Utterly helpless, Tyra clutched at a pillow and moaned as he rolled his hips. He was at Elain's mercy now.  
  
Elain didn't tease Tyra too long until he made direct skin contact. Tyra's erection felt hot under his fingertips, satin skin over hard flesh, and after a few light touches, he stroked harder. Elain wasn't a fan of giving blow jobs since it reminded him of demanding lovers and a bad aftertaste on his tongue and in his mind. But Tyra was different, and Elain wanted this to be a fresh start without having the ghosts of former disappointments in his bed. Now, however, he just concentrated on his hand. After all, they had all the time in the world.  
  
“Oh, oh, oh gods,” Tyra cursed as he struggled to contain the overwhelming lust. He began rolling his hips in time with Elain's hand motions, eager to increase the speed and contact. As he did so, he put his hand in Elain's hair and pulled his face forward so he could give him a passionate kiss, pouring his gratitude for the pleasure into the kiss.  
  
Elain eagerly returned the kiss as he continued to pleasure Tyra. With his free hand he sneaked up Tyra's neck and then started to caress the formerly neglected ear.  
  
Tyra moaned loudly and leaned into the touch, unintentionally reminding Elain of a cat leaning into scratches on its head.  
  
“I'm not...” Tyra gasped as Elain caressed his ear more firmly and gave the base of his shaft a brief squeeze. “Oooh, I'm not going to last very long!”  
  
This statement made Elain slow down the movement of his hands. He wasn't about to tease Tyra — not today — but he could prolong the pleasure a bit. His fingers moved a bit away from Tyra's ear to caress the neck and the outlines of the sire's face.  
  
Tyra moaned in frustration and gave Elain a pleading and questioning look, but the lifebearer smiled at him and shook his head. “Savor it a bit more,” Elain told him quietly. Tyra didn't know if he could, though, but thinking back to the instructional book he'd read last month, he nodded and decided to try. He tried to calm his breathing, and after a while the pleasure seemed less urgent, but still incredibly sweet.  
  
“Mm, okay, you're right,” Tyra said. “Savoring is good.” He leaned into Elain's touches and tried to keep the movements of his hips to a steady rhythm now instead of the erratic motions he'd been making earlier.  
  
They continued like this for a few more minutes until Elain picked up the pace again. He leaned down to kiss and nibble at Tyra's ear while his hand, now slick with precum, squeezed Tyra's cock after each firm stroke.  
  
Tyra put one arm around Elain's shoulders, holding on to his steadying presence as the world got swept away from him in a wash of delight. He moaned loudly when Elain bit on his ear tip, and he began gasping.  
  
“Elain! Elain, can I? Please, oh gods, let me come!” he begged. He was thrusting his hips eagerly now, and some logical part hidden at the back of his brain was telling him that he was dislodging the couch cushions with his frantic motions.  
  
Tyra's desperate pleas almost drove Elain over the edge himself, but he took a deep breath and tried to focus only on his lover. “Come,” he whispered into the sire's oversensitive ear and gave it another lick.  
  
Tyra cried out harshly and did just as Elain demanded of him. He came with joy and delight, releasing his seed on himself and on Elain's hand. Tyra pressed his face into the crook of Elain's neck and moaned harshly as the orgasm played itself out. His body trembled with the force of it.  
  
“Oh, Forests, thank you,” Tyra managed to hiss out between his teeth. His body gradually began to calm down, leaving an incredible languor in the wake of the ecstasy. “Mmm.”  
  
Elain held him, stroking soothingly through his hair with his free hand. “Feeling better?” he asked softly. Although they both had gotten pretty sticky from Tyra's release, Elain didn't want to move yet either.  
  
Tyra nuzzled Elain's neck and his sweet-smelling hair happily. “Much better,” he declared. However, even as he relaxed, he realized Elain's body was still tense. “Do you want me to do anything for you? I could...” the thought of getting the opportunity to do to Elain what he'd done before made his body squirm in eagerness despite the orgasm he'd just had. “I could suck you off again.”  
  
That thought was tempting indeed, but Elain shook his head. “Thanks, but then I might try to keep you here for the night, and we agreed on taking it slow.” He gave Tyra a gentle kiss before he removed his hand from the sire's pants and got off the couch. “I'll fetch you something to get cleaned up.”  
  
Tyra let out a small sigh of disappointment, but he nodded. “Thanks, I'd appreciate that.” As Elain walked away, he noticed the television, which was running the closing credits to the movie. He shouted out to Elain. “Hey, do you want to back the movie up to where we left off? We missed the whole ending.”  
  
Elain came back few moments later with a wet wash rag and a towel.  
  
“I guess we totally forgot about it,” he admitted with a laugh. “Let's watch the rest and hope there are no more hot kissing scenes or we'll never see the end of the movie.”  
  
Tyra accepted the wash rag from Elain and paused a moment to close his eyes and fervently pray, “More kissing scenes, more kissing scenes, more kissing scenes!”  
  
The next moment the towel flew against his head.  
  
“Tyrallin Alwick, your innocent act is really getting out of hand,” Elain stated sternly before he started to smile again. He grabbed the remote for the DVD player to find the scene where they had left of and then sat down again beside Tyra.  
  
This time they managed to watch the movie until the its happy end.  
  
  
To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE:  
> Our dear Xenobia, creater of the Wyndrah world, wrote a little scene for this chapter in wich one of her characters makes a guest appearance. Since it'll be confusing if you haven't read her story "Mirage", I highly advise you to read it now.  
> It can be found here: http://www.freewebs.com/ninthwave/mirage.htm
> 
>  
> 
> Glaive, Haden, and the Wyndrah world (c) by Xenobia  
> Lyrics "Century of Steel" (c) by Neko


	15. Chapter 15

Outside Blue Ridge High School, the lawn was abuzz with activity, flooded with students, teachers, and parents alike.  
  
“Okay kids, gather in close for a picture!” Mrs. Kendrick instructed. “And Jerrik, no bunny ears this time!”  
  
The friends and parents laughed happily at this remark, and Tyra, Sally, Jerrik, and Jamie all gathered close to pose for the camera. They wore matching long blue graduation gowns and matching smiles of pride and accomplishment. The ceremony had taken an hour and a half, and Jamie, as the valedictorian, had given a rousing speech filled with remembrances and hope for the future. Tyra had already known the speech's contents because Jamie had asked him to look it over, but there had been nothing Tyra could do to improve the speech.  
  
Just like Jamie. Always devilishly happy to show Tyra that he excelled at any task.  
  
“Say 'graduation'!” Mrs. Kendrick told them.  
  
“Graduation!” the four friends said enthusiastically. Mrs. Kendrick snapped the photo.  
  
“Perfect!” Mrs. Kendrick announced, smiling.  
  
Sally came to her and hugged her mother. “Now I know why my mom is a professional photographer!” she said proudly. “I can't wait to see those pictures!”  
  
Meanwhile, Jerrik had received an enthusiastic kiss from Atsayal, and Feadri had hugged Tyra. “You look dorky in this robe, big bro!” he said, grinning.  
  
“Yeah, well, you look dorky all the time,” Tyra shot back.  
  
“It must run in the family then,” Feadri declared. “Come on, get out of this getup so we can go to lunch with the others. Dad reserved a huge table for all of us.”  
  
The families of the four friends had decided to celebrate together, so they made a big group: the four Alwicks; Sally and her mother; Jamie, his parents, and his little sister; and Jerrik, his parents, and Atsayal.  
  
“Wait, before I get out of the gown, there's something I need to do. Hey Feadri, can you take a picture of me with my cell phone?” Tyra had to hunt through the folds of the gown to find it, but find it he did, and he handed it over to Feadri.  
  
“Of course! Now try to look cool for once,” Feadri instructed as he held up the cell phone to take a picture. “Lemme guess, you want to send it to Elain?”  
  
“You guessed it,” Tyra said, and then he smiled for the camera. Feadri took the picture and then handed the phone back to Tyra.  
  
“Here you go,” said Feadri. “Now hurry and send it to him. He'll be relieved that his boyfriend is finally out of high school.”  
  
“Feadri!” Lissem admonished.  
  
“What? I didn't say anything wrong,” Feadri replied with a pout.  
  
“I suppose not, but still, I'm not sure I like you making jokes about the situation,” Lissem said with a frown.  
  
Tyra just shook his head and took a few steps away from his family to send his message to Elain. When he was done, he sent it on its way.  
  
That done, Tyra finally got out of the gown and joined his friends who were already waiting at his car. They carefully put their gowns into the trunk before they got in the car. Jerrik, who was sitting in the front passenger's seat, put a Bowzer CD into the player, and seconds later Jaydin's voice boomed through the loudspeakers.  
  
Jamie blocked his ears with his hands and made a face, but Sally pulled away his hands and grinned at him. “Hey, you said that you could tolerate this song!”  
  
“What?” Jamie shouted back, unable to hear her.  
  
Tyra smacked Jerrik's shoulder and turned down the music. “Stop abusing my passengers, man!”  
  
“Sorry guys!” Jerrik called over the lowered — but still loud — music.  
  
“Only the gods know how I could put up with you guys for so long,” Jamie grumbled.  
  
“Cause we're your best friends?” Sally suggested, nudging him.  
  
Jamie adjusted his glasses and coughed. “Seems so.”  
  
It didn't take long for them to reach the restaurant. It was a beautiful little place at the harbor, and the tables that had been put together to accommodate the fourteen guests almost filled up the room completely.  
  
Tyra sat down between his sire and Sally, and just as they had ordered their meals, Tyra's cell phone vibrated.  
  
It was a short message from Elain.  
  
 _'Congratulations! I hope you have a beautiful day with your friends and family. I'll think of a special surprise for you tonight_.'  
  
Sally looked over his shoulder and whistled softly. “That sounds promising.”  
  
He whispered back to her. “Hush, you. My curfew is over as of tonight, but if you give them any ideas, they'll slap it right back on.”  
  
“Nah, I'll be silent as the grave,” Sally promised, but then her lively face grew serious again. “By the way, I finally decided on a university. I'll go to Raylington along with Jamie.”  
  
“Hey, congrats!” Tyra said with a smile. “That's great! We're all set now, aren't we? You know, it's really great that we're all at least in the same city. We'll still be able to hang out.”  
  
“Of course. I mean, we're still neighbors... but I'd like to find a room in the university dorms. I guess I need a bit of a change.” Sally smiled again, but it was forced.  
  
“Change is a good thing, though, especially right after graduation!” Tyra said enthusiastically. “Now, how about an appetizer?”  
  
The dinner was a great event, one that would be remembered by all present in the years to come. They ate, talked, and laughed together as though they were one large family, which in a sense they very much were.  
  
But underneath all that happiness was a bit of melancholy, too. A new chapter in the life of the four friends was about to start, but the old one was closed now for good and with it the last remnants of a carefree childhood. Now they were truly adults, ready to continue on the way they had chosen.  
  
The evening grew late, and when Jamie's little sister started to get sleepy, they decided to call it a night.  
  
“Now the real parties can begin!” Jerrik said with a hoot. They knew of multiple parties being hosted around town by their classmates.  
  
“Yeah, this was just a warm up,” Tyra agreed, grinning at his best friend.  
  
“You have a good time, Tyra, but don't do anything reckless,” Lissem told him.  
  
“No problem, dad,” Tyra agreed.  
  
The four graduates said goodbye to their families, and together with Atsayal they headed out again. It was a beautiful, clear evening, and the air smelled of approaching summer although it was still cool.  
  
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, where should we go?” Jerrik asked. “Timothy is having a pool party, but I think it's still too cold for that. Maybe to Jessica's? She has a karaoke machine...”  
  
“I hope you guys don't mind,” Tyra began as he gave his watch a quick check, “but wherever we go, I'm only going to stay for an hour and a half. Then I need to go meet up with Elain.”  
  
Jerrik ribbed him with a big grin. “Hehe, private celebration, huh? We certainly won't keep you from getting lucky tonight! I mean, it's high time that you...”  
  
“Jerrik, could you please keep it to yourself if you ever hope on getting lucky yourself again?” Atsayal interrupted.  
  
Jamie just groaned, and Sally was silent.  
  
Tyra could feel his ear tips burning yet again. He prayed he'd grow out of the blushing some day soon. “Right! So, where are we going? Jessica's sounds good to me. Her house is huge, and lots of people are going to be there.”  
  
“Sounds good — as long as you don't sing, Jerrik!” Jamie warned. “I remember the last time you tried to on New Year's eve, and my ears almost started to bleed.”  
  
“Hey, it's not my fault I'm not one of the Bowzer boys,” Jerrik defended his honor.  
  
Atsayal pulled him to the car. “I'll keep him from singing,” he promised.  
  
A few minutes later, they were on their way.  
  
When they arrived, Tyra enjoyed the party and spent time with his friends and classmates. Everyone was in a great mood, and spirits were running high, which made for an exciting evening. However, most of his thoughts centered on what came after the party.  
  
It was a big day for Tyra in many ways.  
  
~*~  
  
Shortly before midnight, Tyra arrived at the Velvet Shadow. The line at the front entrance seemed endless, but luckily he didn't have to bother with it. He just took the side entrance again and squeezed through the dancers until he reached the elevators. After a short ride up to the tenth floor, Tyra stood in front of Elain's apartment door and knocked.  
  
A few seconds later, the door opened. “There you are,” Elain greeted him with a smile. Tyra noticed that the room beyond the door was only illuminated by candles and the crescent moon that shone through the large windows. The normally austere place looked much more inviting and romantic.  
  
Elain himself looked different, too. He was missing his glasses, and instead of his usual suits or casually elegant clothes he wore a shiny black shirt with an unbuttoned collar and black trousers that seemed to be cut like tight jeans but consisted of the same, satiny material as the shirt.  
  
“Wow,” Tyra breathed. “Hi there, sexy.” He entered, and Elain closed the door behind him. Tyra wanted to reach out and touch Elain, but he was struck with a sudden bout of nerves. Elain looked absolutely scrumptious, but Tyra didn't want to seem so overeager that he couldn't even spare the time to talk.  
  
“Marithia gave this outfit to me on my birthday ages ago in the hope I would go dancing again, but I've never worn it,” Elain said, looking a bit unsure himself.  
  
Tyra smiled. “Remember when we first met? I couldn't convince you to dance with me then.” He reached out and took one of Elain's hands and tugged him closer. “Think you'd mind dancing with me now?”  
  
“Not at all.”  
  
Soft music was already playing, and they took the first steps together. Elain noticed that Tyra was a good dancer, gently indicating the direction. And the thin satin of his shirt let Elain feel the warm hand laying on the small of his back in a notably sensual way.  
  
Together they glided smoothly through the open space of the apartment, and Tyra quietly enjoyed the feel of having Elain in his arms this way. They danced together effortlessly, and Tyra was delighted with the way Elain seemed to respond to his movements with so little effort.  
  
“This is a really nice surprise,” Tyra said with a small smile.  
  
“I thought you might have had enough wild parties for one day, so I figured we should take it slow,” Elain answered, leaning a bit closer to Tyra when the song changed, indicating an even slower rhythm.  
  
Tyra's breath caught in his throat at the feeling of Elain cuddled so close and leaning against him. It was as if something clicked into place for him, something permanent and irreplaceable.  
  
“Sounds good to me,” he whispered.  
  
For Elain it was the same, although he still couldn't truly believe it was happening. After all those years, all those disappointments, all the self-doubting whether he truly deserved to be happy... and now he was here with Tyra, who really cared for him in a way nobody ever had. And Elain wanted to have Tyra beside him like he wanted to see the sun rising every morning.  
  
Three little words formed in his mind, word that were so often used and abused and not really meant, and he wasn't ready to say them yet to Tyra. But the realization, warm and fragile like a newly hatched bird, lay safe within him for now.  
  
As the next song ended, Elain gently pulled Tyra's head down for a kiss.  
  
Tyra eagerly complied. He halted his dance movements so that he could focus on Elain and their kiss, pouring all the emotions he felt into it. He raised his hands to hold Elain's lovely face in them, and he felt Elain shift forward so that they were pressing together all the way from lips to thighs.  
  
When they pulled back from the kiss, Tyra watched as Elain's eyes slowly started to open again.  
  
“Elain? I don't want you to think I'm saying this just because of the heat of the moment, so I want you to take a deep breath and listen carefully, okay?” Elain took a calming breath, but small frown of confusion appeared on his brow. Tyra caressed the little crease away with the pad of his thumb. “I love you. I really, completely love you, and I want to be with you always. So if you're taking me to bed tonight, you'd better be ready to keep me.”  
  
Elain was about to ask if Tyra really meant what he said, if he was sure... but he didn't. This moment was too precious for doubt, and the solemn look in Tyra's usually sparkling eyes was enough to convince Elain that his lover truly meant what he said.  
  
“I wasn't planning on ever letting you go again,” Elain answered softly.  
  
A small and joyful laugh bubbled out of Tyra's chest. “Good,” he replied happily, and he kissed Elain again, this time with much more urgency and demand. At the same time, he lowered a hand to slip it up under the back of Elain's sinfully silky shirt so that he could get his fingertips on the even silkier skin beneath it.  
  
Elain shivered a bit as the shirt slid over his skin, followed by Tyra's warm hand. It felt wonderful, and the kiss tasted even sweeter if that was possible. No, tonight they wouldn't stop halfway since Tyra seemed very sure of himself now.  
  
“I think you haven't seen my bedroom yet,” Elain remarked when they both gasped for air again.  
  
Tyra shivered eagerly. “I think I'd love to see your bedroom.” So Elain took Tyra's hand out from under his shirt and used the captured hand to guide Tyra along behind him.  
  
Elain's bedroom was like the rest of his apartment with light-colored walls and sparse decorations. Everything was illuminated with candles, too, and their soft light made the otherwise strictly functional room inviting. The only real luxury Elain allowed himself were satin bedsheets that shimmered in a dark red.  
  
“Elain, before we lose our heads,” Tyra started, “I was wondering...well, I'm not sure how you want to do this. I have protection with me, but I think you probably already know that I'm completely clean.” He managed not to squirm in place where he stood, but he rubbed at the back of his neck self-consciously.  
  
“Normally I'd insist on protection, but I guess it's alright without since I'm not in seasonals and believe I'm too old to get pregnant.” Elain pulled him toward the bed. “So don't worry.”  
  
“Hold on,” Tyra said, and he resisted Elain's attempt to pull him along. “Clothes first,” he suggested, and he set about attacking Elain's slick black outfit. Elain cooperated, and soon Tyra had his lover standing before him, naked and obviously aroused.  
  
But Elain didn't have any patience with Tyra still being clothed either, so he started undressing the sire as well. Since Elain hadn't gotten a chance to explore his lover thoroughly the last times, he now took it very slow and caressed each newly exposed part of bronzed skin.  
  
Tyra sighed, closed his eyes, and firmly reminded himself to be patient and enjoy the moment. In this, he would follow Elain's lead. So, gathering his resolve, he strove to control his eagerness and allow Elain to explore at his leisure.  
  
As Elain touched and teased at his bellybutton and gave him a quick, open-mouthed kiss just to the side of one nipple, he wondered if he'd manage to get through the night with his sanity intact.  
  
Elain finally had mercy on him and unzipped Tyra's pants to get him out of it. When the sire was completely naked, too, Elain gave him a gentle shove so that Tyra landed on the bed and crawled on top of him to continue his explorations.  
  
Tyra's body was flawless with beautiful skin over hard muscles, giving away a person who loved to do sports. Elain kissed his way down from the navel to Tyra's well-sized member. As he already knew, it fit nicely into his hand, but now he could give it some special attention with a few teasing licks.  
  
At the feel of the warm, wet tongue on his aching member, Tyra gasped out Elain's name. He writhed against the sheets, but that proved to be a new and special torture of its own. The red sheets were extraordinarily soft against his skin.  
  
“Elain, please, you can't — I can't take it if you — gods!” he exclaimed as Elain took the tip of his member into his mouth for a brief but mind-shattering suckle. When Elain paused to smile up at him, Tyra moved quickly. He reached down and wrapped his arms around Elain and pulled him up to lie next to him. He buried his head in Elain's neck and hair and simply held on for a moment, willing himself to be still and not to start thrusting against his partner's thigh until he came like the overeager youth he was.  
  
“It's okay,” Elain whispered and rubbed Tyra's back soothingly. “I just couldn't resist. Take a few deep breaths.”  
  
Tyra gave a hard, full-body shudder and then complied with Elain's suggestion, breathing in deeply through his nose and then exhaling through his mouth. And he continued to work on his control, taking in Elain's unique fragrance as he breathed. It was a clean scent, one of soap and a shampoo that smelled of the sharp and salty ocean air, but beneath that was the warm smell of sweet spices.  
  
When he felt a little calmer, Tyra pulled his head back and gave Elain a bashful smile. “I think I'm okay now,” he said.  
  
“Don't look at me like that,” Elain warned jokingly. “Or I’ll have to be the perverted old man and tease you again.” He gave Tyra a kiss on the nose.  
  
Tyra narrowed his eyes. “Were you doing that on purpose?” He started stroking Elain's back with one hand in long and steady motions.  
  
“What on Wyndrah gave you that idea?” Elain gave him an innocent look that wasn't very convincing before he let his hand wander from Tyra's back to his buttocks.  
  
Tyra gasped, but instead of letting himself get overwhelmed again, he fixed Elain with a firm stare. “Well, if you're going to play dirty, that means I can, too,” Tyra replied, and he mirrored Elain's caresses on his own body, letting his hands wander down to Elain's buttocks to test the silky flesh he found there.  
  
Elain closed his eyes briefly and gasped. “You're a really fast learner,” he said. “Why don't you show me what you intend to do next?”  
  
“Mm, and isn't it nice that I'm a fast learner?” Tyra murmured. “You can teach me aaanything you want.” Tyra gently nudged Elain to lie down on his back. “You can train me to be,” Tyra kissed Elain's jaw “your” a kiss on one nipple “perfect” a kiss on the other nipple “lover.”  
  
At Elain's hum of pleasure, Tyra decided to continue what he was doing. He gave small, sensual kisses all over Elain's upper body, and meanwhile, his hand slowly slid down across Elain's toned tummy.  
  
“If you continue like this, I'm afraid... there won't be much to teach you any more,” Elain gasped. Tyra started to get the hang of teasing his lover, too, and Elain wasn't sure if he should be frustrated or happy about this. He slightly arched his back to get closer to Tyra's ministrations.  
  
“Oh, I don't know,” Tyra demurred. “I bet there are lots of things you could show me.” Tyra slid his hands through the soft curls at the base of Elain's member, and then he took the shaft in his hand and began to stroke it slowly. “I mean, I know there are a lot of ways to pleasure your partner, but I have to figure out what you like best. Mmm.” Tyra hummed in pleasure at the way Elain arched his body sensually as he touched the lifebearer, and he pressed his own cock against Elain's hip. He was so hard now that he ached with it. Forests, he had to keep talking to keep his wits together and focus on Elain.  
  
“How about this?” Tyra asked, and he moved his hand down to cup Elain's firm sac and carefully stroked the loose skin there. “Is this good or not?”  
  
Elain moaned, which was answer enough. “I doubt you could do anything I don't like,” he whispered. “But if you don't want me to tie you up and get on with it myself, I suggest you stop teasing me and get down to business.”  
  
Tyra froze for a moment, debating about how to proceed. However, Elain made himself very clear by spreading his legs wider and tilting his hips. Tyra swallowed hard and slid his hand down farther, exploring very new territories now. With one fingertip, he found the opening to Elain's body, and he gasped to find it warm and already slightly wet. His cock bucked in excitement against Elain's hip as if saying yes, yes, that's the place we want!  
  
Tyra explored slowly and carefully, delighted with this new discovery.  
  
Now Elain was the one to take deep breaths and keep his calm. Nobody had touched him so intimately for ages, and for a moment it was strange and almost unfamiliar. But he relaxed quickly since Tyra's touches were very careful and unhurried. Elain spread his legs even wider to encourage his lover, and he pulled Tyra's head down for another passionate kiss.  
  
Tyra kissed Elain, but most of his focus remained on what his hand was doing. Soon he shifted his position so that he was partly kneeling over Elain, which allowed him to have both his hands free to do even more touching. With his newly freed hand, he carefully touched that little spot between the shaft and balls that had proved so helpful the first time he had given Elain a blow job.  
  
He gave the spot a firm little rub. “Is this the right spot? Or is it the other one?” he asked eagerly.  
  
Elain instinctively put a hand over his own mouth to muffle a little scream. He had always been incredibly sensitive there, and the long abstinence had only added to this.  
  
“Forests, you're too good at this,” he hissed between clenched teeth. “If you don't stop... I'll embarrass myself by coming right now.”  
  
Tyra's face flushed as he took in Elain's expression, and he panted harshly. He rubbed his own member against the curve of the lifebearer’s hip. However, despite their eagerness, he stopped his actions and pulled his hands away to brace them on the bed and get his bearings back.  
  
When he felt like he could speak again, he whispered hoarsely to Elain. “Actually, I think we both almost embarrassed ourselves.” He adjusted his position again. “Are you good? Can I continue now?”

“Yes.” Elain smiled encouragingly at him as the tension slightly ebbed away. He reminded himself to keep a clear head since he should be the one to help Tyra along the way, but the sire's actions so far were absolutely perfect in their eagerness to please. He just hoped that this generous attitude wouldn't vanish with Tyra's virginity.  
  
“Okay, I'll try to be gentle now,” Tyra said, and he slid a hand between Elain's legs again. This time when he found the delicate opening, it was twice as wet as before, and Tyra sighed in appreciation. Gently, he began to press a finger inside, past the tight ring of muscle. Elain and Tyra both gasped at the sensation.  
  
Heat. Forests, it was pure heat.  
  
Elain suppressed a shudder. It felt wonderful, and as Tyra pressed deeper, a spark of pure pleasure raced through Elain and made him moan again.  
  
Forests, how did the young sire know all this so well although he claimed to never have done this before? It was incredible.  
  
“Deeper,” Elain hoarsely demanded.  
  
“Deeper?” Tyra asked even as he sank his finger in further. “Is this okay? Should I try two?” Although the going was easy thanks to the natural lubrication, the passage was tight even with just one digit pressed inside, and Tyra could feel little flutterings of muscle against his finger.  
  
And there was still a special little spot that he had to find. So far it was eluding him. Perhaps with two fingers...?  
  
Elain just nodded. Tyra carefully added a second finger, and just as he was about to ask again of he was doing this right, Elain arched his back and whimpered, digging his fingers into the bedsheets for support.  
  
So that was it? That tiny lump right there that felt...when Tyra tried it again, Elain whimpered a second time and restlessly shifted his hips so that he was basically ****ing himself on Tyra's fingers. Tyra couldn't imagine anything sexier than Elain in the throes of passion. “Gods, you're beautiful,” Tyra whispered. Elain seemed to be enjoying what he was doing, so he kept it up, and he tried to start scissoring his fingers the way he'd read he was supposed to do. But meanwhile, his body felt as though it was on fire, and the only way he could keep it somewhat manageable was to shift and press and rub his chest and groin against Elain. “Love you, love you so much!”  
  
“Tyra...” Elain whispered, losing his ability to form coherent sentences. It felt so good, and he wanted more, and if his lover didn't take him now, Elain would go crazy!  
  
He finally grabbed Tyra's shoulders to hold him still and look him into the eyes. They were as passion-glazed as his own, and with trembling fingers Elain traced the lines of Tyra's face. “Just... do it, please.”  
  
Tyra tried to make a verbal reply, but he couldn't manage it, so he merely nodded. He placed his body on top of Elain's and settled his hips between Elain's open and inviting legs. Elain immediately wrapped his legs over Tyra's hips, and the young sire shuddered in delight. Then he took his own neglected member in hand and placed it at the entrance of Elain's body and began to press forward. He met with some resistance at first, but at the feel of the wetness against the crown of his cock, he gasped eagerly and began pressing in further, moving to match his hips with Elain's like two pieces of a puzzle.  
  
Elain had some difficulties relaxing at first since he had almost forgotten how it felt to be penetrated. He experienced some small discomfort due to Tyra's size, but just for a moment. Then the tip of Tyra's cock brushed Elain's prostate, and Elain eagerly pushed against the sire, this time unable to stifle a little cry.  
  
At the sound, Tyra froze in place, suddenly alarmed.  
  
“Are you okay?” he asked urgently. “Did I hurt you? Oh gods, I'm sorry! I went too fast.”  
  
“No, you didn't,” Elain managed to reassure him, wrapping his legs tighter around Tyra's body and clinging to him for dear life. “Just don't stop!”  
  
When Elain shifted and moved like that, Tyra couldn't possibly have denied him. He gasped at the sensation. Forests, it felt as though Elain's passage was trying to squeeze the life out of him! He gave a few short and shallow thrusts as he tried to adjust to the new experience, and every motion he made shot fireworks through his pelvis to the rest of his body. He groaned, and it was a sound somewhere between rapture and agony.  
  
Those still uncoordinated thrusts made Elain moan again, but this time in frustration since they barely missed his pleasure spot. But they helped to relax him even further so he stopped squeezing Tyra. Elain pulled his lover closer to him again, kissing his sweat-glistening forehead and silently telling him to relax as well. This wasn't a contest to be won.  
  
Tyra sighed at Elain's kiss, and although he couldn't stop himself completely, he focused on controlling his breathing and evening out his motions. However, he couldn't control some of the erratic thrusts of his hips. It was truly as though his groin had found a life of its own. “Is...is this okay? Should I...? Oh—!” Tyra exclaimed as his body suddenly lurched forward with a strong thrust.  
  
Elain's breath caught in his throat at the sudden wave a pleasure Tyra's movement had caused. His fingernails dugs into Tyra's back, leaving thin marks.  
  
“Yes!” he moaned. “Forests, Tyra...”  
  
Tyra moaned and happily complied. He braced himself on his elbows to either side of Elain and simply let his lower body take control, and he gave long, powerful thrusts that ended in grunts and moans from both of the lovers. Tyra alternately cursed at the sensations and praised Elain for giving them to him. When the demands of his body became nearly unbearable, he began to lose control of his motions once again, although he continued to thrust deeply. Tyra shuddered as his orgasm overtook him, and he groaned out Elain's name.  
  
Elain wasn't going to last much longer, either. He felt Tyra's climax deep inside him, the trembling of the sire's body spreading through his own as well. He was hyperaware of the friction their sweat-slickened bodies made with every movement, taking him closer to orgasm as well. Thankfully Tyra didn't stop his thrusts, although they became erratic again, and Elain met each of them with a push of his own hips.  
  
“Tyra, please,” he begged, his own voice distant and hazy in his own ears.  
  
Even as his body quaked with delight, Tyra continued on, thrusting deeply into the lifebearer's passage, unable to get enough of the fluttering and squeezing of Elain's passage around his cock. But even in his pleasure, he heard Elain calling out to him, and he reached down to grasp Elain's shaft and press and rub his thumb against the wet tip of it. “Come on, Elain!” he demanded in a roughened voice. “Come with me, beloved, come on!” And he thrust harder, shifting and trying to find a way to put more pressure on Elain's internal sweet spot with his throbbing cock.  
  
The combined sensation of added pressure inside his body, Tyra's hand on his cock, and hearing those words drove Elain over the edge immediately. His whole body went taut like a bowstring as he shouted Tyra's name, his vision going black for a moment from the intense pleasure.  
  
As Elain came, the tightening against Tyra's sensitized cock made him give a hoarse grunt, but then Elain began to relax beneath him, and Tyra was finally able to slow down...  
  
...slow down, but not stop.  
  
Apparently, his youthful body wasn't quite finished yet. He tried to stop, but every time he paused, some little sensation like the puff of Elain's breath against the sweat on his neck or the light touch of Elain's fingertips on the nape of his neck made little electric shocks travel to his groin and tell his body to give another tiny thrust. He was able to gradually recover his breath, and Elain seemed to be recouping beneath him, too.  
  
“Elain?” he queried tentatively.  
  
The lifebearer opened his eyes again and smiled warmly. “Still here. I think I have to give my favorite student top grades in all subjects so far,” he said a bit breathlessly.  
  
Tyra gave a little embarrassed laugh. “Thanks, teach.” He placed little amorous kisses along Elain's neck and shoulder. “Elain...um, would it be okay if I kept going? Or, mmm,” Tyra paused to give a slightly more urgent thrust, “do we need to stop to clean up?” Both of their bellies were covered with Elain's release.  
  
“I'll have to wash these sheets anyway,” Elain answered. “And to get cleaned up, I would have to let go of you, and that's unacceptable, I'm afraid.” He gently stroked through Tyra's now mussed hair and along his ears.  
  
“Oh, the ear!” Tyra gasped out softly in surprise, and he leaned his head into the touch and gave Elain a forceful thrust.  
  
That almost distracted Elain from his task of driving Tyra crazy again, but he tried to breathe steadily and continued to stroke the ear tips with gentle fingers. “Should I stop?” he asked teasingly.  
  
“No! No, keep doing that,” Tyra said, and he kissed Elain's wrist. He pressed his body firmly against Elain and tried rotating his hips in short motions from side to side.  
  
That friction sent new sparks of pleasure through Elain's body, hardening his erection again. He lifted his hips a bit to meet the motion and tugged at Tyra's ear to pull him a bit closer. “Would you mind rolling over?” he asked, voice already hoarse from pleasure again.  
  
Tyra shivered at the request and the feel of Elain's breath against his ear. “Anything, nng, anything you want,” he replied. He rolled over and pulled Elain with him, but in the process his erection slipped free from Elain's body.  
  
Elain sat up, lifting his hips a bit so he could sink down on Tyra's cock again. In this position, the penetration angle was different, deeper, but it also required more work from Elain now. He pushed himself up on his knees and then sank down again with a moan.  
  
Tyra sighed in delight and relaxed back against the pillows, looking up and admiring Elain. A pleasant flush was spread across his normally composed features, and his dark red hair was rumpled from being pressed against the sheets. Resting on his back as he was, it was much easier now for Tyra to lift a hand and trace it along the graceful curve of his side or the soft skin of his stomach.  
  
“You're so beautiful, Elain,” Tyra said on a sigh, and he rolled his hips with Elain's next downward motion.  
  
Elain arched his back, thus getting an even deeper angle. He had to steady himself when his vision got hazy again.  
  
“And you're too perfect for words,” Elain whispered, realizing too late that he had said this aloud, even in the heat of passion. But it was true, and he wouldn't take it back.  
  
“Mm, I'll have to work hard to live up to that,” Tyra responded with a smile. Then he took Elain's erect member in hand and began carefully teasing the flushed cap, stimulating Elain with circles and squeezes and little taps against the sensitive opening at the very tip. “How's that? Is that okay?” he asked as he tried different techniques.  
  
Elain had to grab hold of Tyra's waist for fear of losing balance. The intense sensations made him gasp for air, and for a moment he thought he would come again.  
  
“Gods, Tyra,” he rasped, and he barely managed to ask the question he had been wondering about since they had started. “How... do you know about all this? A lifebearer's sensitive points, I mean. It's not... something you learn in biology class.”  
  
Tyra paused in his teasing to look up at Elain and hesitated just a bit before confessing. “I ordered a book a while back, before we ever broke up. It had...unh!” Tyra grunted as Elain gave an enchanting little swivel of his hips. “I thought I should…un…pick up some tips about how to...well...” Tyra wasn't quite sure how to explain that he'd wanted to find out how to get a lifebearer sexually worked up.  
  
“You got a manual on how to excite me in bed? Tyra, that's...” Elain laughed. “You're really impossible!” That said, he rotated his hips again and squeezed his inner muscles.  
  
“Oh, gods, yes!” Tyra hollered, and his whole body went taut for a moment, but then Elain relaxed, and so too did Tyra, although he panted helplessly beneath his lover. “It was a general book on lashran sexuality. Mmm, Elain, can you do that again?”  
  
“What, this?” Elain squeezed again, enjoying Tyra's reaction almost as much as he enjoyed the feeling deep inside him.  
  
It was an absolutely beautiful sight to have Tyra looking pliant and sexy beneath him. The candlelight played on Tyra's wet skin, making it gleam like polished gold, and those hazel eyes glowed seductively in the twilight of the room.  
  
“Yes,” Tyra hissed through his teeth. Beneath Elain, Tyra began to buck and roll, working to help establish a rhythm despite his prone position. He took Elain's member back into his right hand and began teasing at the tip of it again, and with his other hand he took a firm hold of Elain's slender hip.  
  
Elain's careful control was slipping again as he moved faster, each time pushing himself higher to sink down again with a moan, meeting Tyra's movement and giving him a slight squeeze again. His thighs were beginning to strain a bit, but it was insignificant at the moment. All that mattered was that he continued until they both couldn't last any longer.  
  
Soon they were moving too frantically for Tyra to keep up his more delicate ministrations, so he settled for taking Elain's hardened cock in his hand and stroking it firmly in time with their motions. “Elain, love, more!” Tyra called out. He needed more leverage to really start moving, so he lifted his knees and planted his feet on the bed, and he started thrusting upward with twice as much strength, meeting Elain's fluid down stroke.  
  
Elain cried out as Tyra suddenly drove upward, forcefully hitting his prostate at the perfect angle. The combined sensations were almost too much, and this time Elain knew he could last only seconds.  
  
“Tyra, I'm...” He was unable to finish the sentence as orgasm threatened to overcome him.  
  
Unable to respond verbally, Tyra simply heeded his lover's plea and kept up what he was doing, thrusting upward and shoving himself into Elain's warm and inviting body again and again until he was sure he would die of the pleasure. Finally, Elain gave a cry and shoved his hips downward, pinning Tyra to the bed with his bodyweight on Tyra's hips, and Elain came, spilling his release on Tyra's stroking hand and torso.  
  
The resulting clench of muscle around his member was too much to bear. Tyra cried out and followed Elain into bliss only moments later.  
  
After the last waves of climax had rolled through them, Elain fell on top of Tyra, panting and barely catching himself on his arms. He saw little stars dancing before his eyes, and his legs and hips where almost numb, but he didn't care in the slightest.  
  
“Forests bless your manual, Tyra,” Elain said, still out of breath.  
  
Tyra let out a weak chuckle. “I'll write the author a thank you note,” he responded. He wrapped one arm around Elain's back, accepting the lifebearer's weight settled on top of him. His other hand, though, the one coated with drops of Elain's release, he brought to his mouth to lap up the sweet taste of his lover's seed. The taste was even better than he'd remembered.  
  
Elain watched him for a moment with lazy eyes and smiled. “I guess we'd better get cleaned up,” he remarked, carefully disentangling himself from Tyra. His legs felt a bit like jelly. Well, it was only fair that he was out of shape where sex was concerned.  
  
For a moment, Tyra was hypnotized by the flex and sway of Elain's ass as he walked away from the bed, but as he disappeared into the bathroom, Tyra stretched and moved to follow after him. As he stood up from the bed, he noticed immediately that his back was tired and a little achy.  
  
Mmm, I'm going to feel that tomorrow, Tyra thought with some amusement. He quietly followed Elain through the open door to the bathroom.  
  
Like the bedroom, the bathroom had only one luxurious piece among the otherwise frugal furniture: a jacuzzi tub big enough for two people. Elain turned the water on and then looked over his shoulder at Tyra. “It's not the most efficient way to get cleaned up, but I'm not overly fond of having sore muscles tomorrow.”  
  
“That is incredible. You have a jacuzzi in your bathroom,” Tyra said in awe. “I can't believe it.”  
  
“Why not? But it's the first time that I invite someone to join me,” Elain said, smiling.  
  
“Then I'm happy to help you test it and make sure it's just right for two,” Tyra said, returning Elain's smile. “Come on, let's get cleaned up, and I'll try not to get you messy again.”  
  
That statement merited a raised eyebrow and a smirk as Elain pulled out some washrags from the cupboard. But they managed to get themselves cleaned up without any distractions.  
  
Meanwhile, the tub was already filled with water. Elain turned on the jet streams and got into the tub. The hot water felt wonderful as he sank down in it, relaxing his sore muscles immediately. He held out a hand invitingly to Tyra.  
  
Tyra took Elain's hand and climbed into the tub, and he sighed with delight at the feel of the warm water swirling around his tired muscles. “Feadri is going to be so jealous when I tell him you have a jacuzzi tub. He rants and raves that one of his friends has one.”  
  
“Well, if I can get things sorted out with your father, I'd like to get to meet your brother,” Elain answered. “And your friends — that is, if it's alright for you. I'm not the most social of persons, but I want to be on good terms with the people who are important to you.”  
  
Tyra looked closely at Elain, trying to judge whether he meant it or not. He knew his boyfriend guarded his privacy carefully. But Elain seemed sincere. “Just...be prepared when you start meeting them. There are a lot. Family, friends, and some extended family, too. And pretty soon a new little brother.” Tyra thought about it a moment. “Maybe we'd better introduce you to people gradually. My life might turn out to be like a social ant hill for you, comparatively speaking.”  
  
“I guess getting to know them bit by bit would be better,” Elain agreed, a bit taken aback by the prospect of socializing with so many people. However, they wouldn't be business partners or self-centered VIPs he had to entertain, but important people in Tyra's life. And Elain didn't want to keep Tyra just for himself. The thought was tempting, but it would be wrong. What the young sire needed was someone to support him, not patronize or jealously guard him.  
  
And maybe Elain would even enjoy it, meeting new people along the way. It would be a refreshing change.  
  
But for the moment Elain pushed those thoughts aside and just enjoyed the steaming water surrounding him and caressing his skin with every little wave. Soon he discovered, however, that it wasn't just the water, but also Tyra's hand, although the sire tried to look innocent enough — a feat he still accomplished perfectly.  
  
“What?” Tyra asked in response to Elain's raised eyebrow. “I'm just trying to help. Where would you like a little Tyra Rub Down action?” He let his hands roam curiously over Elain's back as if he could find the right place by some sixth sense.  
  
“I can hardly refuse such a generous and selfless offer,” Elain remarked, trying not to smile again. “And I'm sure you can find the right places by yourself.”  
  
Of course this was an invitation for Tyra to change his actions from a proper back rub to some more arousing touches. Elain returned them with enthusiasm, and soon the bathroom floor was rather wet from their splashing around.  
  
When they finally managed to get out of the tub, they were rather exhausted, but clean and relaxed again. Elain pulled out a few huge towels to wrap into, and they stumbled back into the bedroom.  
  
Tyra climbed into bed and pulled Elain into his arms. “Okay, now you really know me on a completely intimate basis. Not everybody gets to see me when my hair's down, I'll have you know.” Tyra flicked some of the longer damp locks, which normally were done up in spikes, out of his eyes.  
  
Elain used the chance to comb with his fingers through Tyra's now baby-soft hair. “It suits you,” he said. “And as you've probably guessed, absolutely no one gets to see me like this. And if you're truly sure about us, no one ever will besides you.”  
  
“Oh, I'm definitely sure about us,” Tyra murmured, and he ran his hands possessively over Elain's naked skin. “And I like knowing you're all mine.” He gave Elain a brief but passionate kiss. “And I'm yours, too.”  
  
Elain gave Tyra a gentle smile as soon as their lips parted again. “I love you, Tyra,” he whispered, finally able to say what he'd known deep down for so long but had been afraid to admit. But now Elain understood what it meant to give his heart away and yet feel more complete than ever before in his life.  
  
Whatever the future might have in store for them, and despite all difficulties they'd surely face, they now belonged to each other.  
  
  
 ** _END_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Tyra and Elain will return in "Chasing the Light" ^^


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